Cyprus risks being reduced to beaches, real estate and old clichés unless it builds a clearer story about what it wants to say to the world, creators and digital entrepreneurs told the Cyprus Diaspora Forum in Limassol.
The message came during the panel “Content creation: reaching global audiences”, held on May 7, 2026, at the Amara Hotel, where speakers argued that Cyprus has the history, culture and talent to reach international audiences but still lacks a strong, shared brand.
The panel, moderated by Adonis Adoni, news editor at Finance Magnates, brought together author Alex Christofi, TheSoul Media CEO Louisa Ioannidou, digital influencer Margarita Orlova, brand builder Martin Zarian, entrepreneur Matthew Zorpas and influencer and creative strategist Rafaella Mehmet.
At the heart of the discussion was a question that went beyond marketing: what does Cyprus want to be known for?
Christofi said the island’s position at the meeting point of three continents had made it a place of exchange, resilience and invention over thousands of years. “Innovation is built into the island’s identity,” he said, arguing that this should become a stronger part of Cyprus’ international story.
Zarian said the problem was not a lack of material, but a lack of direction. Cyprus, he said, should be presented as “more than passport scandals, more than real estate, more than halloumi, more than hospitality”.
He said the country needed to decide “what do we want to be in the future, and how are we going to get there?”, warning that content about Cyprus too often falls back on the same images and themes.
That concern was echoed by other speakers, who said Cyprus should not be marketed only through beaches, nightlife or luxury development. Mehmet said creators could help foreign audiences discover village life, nature and the island’s less visible stories, rather than seeing only Nissi Beach and Ayia Napa.
Orlova said one of Cyprus’ strongest assets was not a landmark or a product, but the way people relate to each other. “Trust comes before transactions here,” she said, describing personal relationships, reputation and everyday hospitality as part of the island’s character.
The discussion also turned to artificial intelligence, with speakers rejecting the idea that AI can replace human creativity. Ioannidou, whose company reaches large global audiences through multiple digital brands, said AI was useful in production and analysis but should remain a support tool.
“AI is a tool,” she said, adding that it can help creators work better when combined with human judgement. Relying on it entirely, she warned, “will eventually let you down”.
Christofi drew a sharper distinction between automation and art. “The goal of art is not to reduce friction, it’s to explore friction,” he said, arguing that human creativity still depends on emotion, experience and the ability to understand difficulty.
Speakers said the growth of AI would make content easier to produce at scale, but could also make authentic human voices more valuable. Mehmet said audiences were already becoming tired of perfect images and luxury visuals, and were looking instead for human experience and meaning.
The strongest criticism came from Zorpas, who said Cyprus had been too slow to understand the creator economy and digital change. “We are not small,” he said, arguing that the island should make better use of its place in the European Union.
He said Cyprus needed longer-term thinking, better infrastructure and more space for younger people to lead. “We need the younger people to come in,” he said.
Ioannidou said education should be part of the shift, calling for training, certificates or university-level programmes that would teach young people how to create content, build communities and act as ambassadors for Cyprus.
Orlova said there was already demand for deeper stories about the island’s history, museums and influential figures, but that creators still needed more support from the wider system.
The panel concluded that Cyprus has the material to reach global audiences, but needs clearer strategy, stronger support for creators and a more confident story about what the island represents.
(Picture by Antonis Antoniou)
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