Ayia Napa: where youngsters come ‘to do what they can’t do at home’

Locals close ranks amid the publicity over the rape case. But as the town faces boycott calls, some visitors still appreciate its charms

The mood in Ayia Napa, out of season but in the news, is bleak. The few tourists in town seem to have largely come from sub-zero winter temperatures in Russia and eastern Europe and are impervious to the unrelenting grey drizzle, or the fact that very little is open for business. But calls last week to boycott the resort over the case of a British teenager who accused 12 Israeli men of raping her in July last year has shaken locals. They rely heavily on holiday trade to survive the cooler months when the town shuts down and empties.

Related: UK teenager’s conviction touches a nerve with angry Cypriot women

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