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The paper aims to identify the success factors that guide the sustainable development of rural tourism destinations in Cyprus.

For the purpose of this study, two rural villages in the Larnaca and Limassol districts of Cyprus were selected as a sample. Interviews, field visits, interactions with practitioners, the local community and leaders in these villages then followed. Thematic analysis was applied to identify the factors guiding the sustainable development of these villages.

Nine success factors were identified: finding the theme and engaging with it, allowing locals to guide the development, training and education, economic benefits, developing new products and services, community involvement, the role of younger people, strong leadership and island-wide efforts to rebrand Cyprus as a destination. These factors seem to be critical to the success of sustainable rural destinations and to rebranding Cyprus as a destination that offers authentic experiences.

The nine success factors identified by studying two villages in Cyprus can guide other rural destinations in finding their path to sustainable development through themes and authentic experiences.

This paper aims to examine the rising sustainability standards on the island of Cyprus and more specifically the Cyprus Sustainable Tourism Initiative and how this organization helped to make the case for sustainable development.

The study adopted a qualitative approach using interviews to collect data from primary research.

Although Cyprus is a well-developed tourism destination, its sustainability standards have lagged behind. Tour operators initially encouraged the hospitality industry to commit to sustainability standards and the majority of the industry has done so. Yet there is still a gap between theory and practice and the industry needs to step up its efforts.

The study was time limited and the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic posed difficulties in terms of accessing interviewees and conducing the interviews.

The study reveals the current state of sustainability standards in Cyprus and the effort needed to address the future challenges.

Sustainability is not a catch word but a way to offset the negative implications of human activity. Tourism and hospitality is an important economic activity and needs to play its role in protecting and improving environmental and social standards.

This is the first study to focus on sustainability standards in the hospitality industry in relation to the Cyprus Sustainable Tourism Initiative (CSTI).