TRADE

The islands strategic location, the excellent infrastructure, the convenient accessibility by sea and air, its well-educated workforce as well as the low cost of living and its pleasant way of life contributed to the islands development to an undisputed regional offshore center. Trading companies use the Limassol Port with all its facilities and services to do their transit or as a regional storage and distribution center. It is considered to be an excellent base for those companies that are doing business with Middle East, North Africa, or Eastern Europe. The shipping industry, continues to grow and it is currently the fifth largest in the world as far as gross tonnage is concerned. There are about 2,000 large vessels registered under the Cypriot flag.

The Cyprus success as a maritime center is due primarily to its legal system, governing shipping, which is based on the British Maritime Law. The number of double tax treaties with other countries and the law taxation definitely help the islands potential in becoming a maritime center with ship owning companies, paying no tax whatsoever on income, dividends paid or any other form of income from the vessels operations or sale. Ship management companies pay taxes on their profits at the rate of 4.25%.

PLACES OF INTEREST & ANNUAL EVENTS

Limassol it is the home of the world famous wine festival, a ten-day event end of September, where you can mingle with the crowds in the beautifully decorated Municipal Gardens to sample the Cyprus wines which flow freely during the event.

This beer festival in the Molos area offers the chance to enjoy various local and imported beers including KEO, Heineken, Becks, Amstel, Stella Artois, Budweiser and Hoegaarden, with DJs and live music to keep drinkers amused.

Limassol is also the home of the Carnival parade in spring, and the hundreds of parties around the city where an exhilarating atmosphere is created during the weeklong celebrations. If you decide to visit us during the hot nights of July and August, Limassol still offers you amongst other pleasures, the international Dance Festival, at the Garden Theatre, or the possibility to watch a play, a Greek drama or a concert at the ancient amphitheatre of Curium. The theatre is very popular in Limassol. As such, it has contributed to a great extent, to the cultural development of our country and especially our town .The Rialto theatre is one of the biggest on the island and local and international stars perform a variety of interesting shows. The Pattichio theatre was renovated in 1986 after it was donated to the Limassol municipality and has been functioning successively since, featuring a great number of events of spiritual, cultural and artistic content.

A visit to the places of interest would include Limassol Castle, which houses The Cyprus Mediaeval Museum, the District Archaeological Museum, the Folk Art Museum, the Limassol Municipal Art Gallery, and the Municipal Gardens. Also in the vicinity are the placid Yermasogia dam, frequented by keen anglers, and the Salt Lake at Akrotiri, home of thousands of migrating birds in winter, and a stopover point for millions more as they go to different climates in spring and autumn. In nearby foothills, delightful villages continue the gentle pace of rural life.