About Cyprus Art Retreat
Cyprus Art Retreat is a centre-based geo-tourism retreat located in Agioi Vavatsinias, a traditional village in the Larnaca Mountains, 700 metres above sea level and south of the Macheras forest.
Built around the Cyprus Art Retreat and trekking.cy brands, the business brings together slow tourism, creative workshops, nature-based activities, and curated walking experiences. Guests can book 1-day workshops, weekend breaks, midweek getaways, and longer immersive retreats, combining art, culture, food, history, hiking, and local village life.
The business serves both local and international visitors. It attracts both Cyprus residents looking for authentic weekend or midweek escapes away from the coastal resorts. Internationally, it appeals to culturally curious travellers, small groups, retired professionals, art enthusiasts, hikers, photographers, and special-interest visitors from Europe, the Middle East, and beyond.
Operating at the intersection of creative tourism, eco-tourism, geo-tourism, wellness, and rural development, Cyprus Art Retreat is designed to support sustainable, year-round visitation to one of Cyprus’ most distinctive mountain villages.
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The challenge
Before working with payabl., Cyprus Art Retreat needed more than a basic payment tool. The business was looking for a reliable partner with a presence in Cyprus, that could support long-term growth while still offering a personal, human approach.
As a small, experience-led tourism business serving a global customer base, the team needed payment infrastructure that was integrated, dependable, flexible, and easy to manage. Accepting card payments, managing funds through a dedicated IBAN, and supporting payout capabilities in one place were all important requirements.
Without an integrated setup, the business risked adding unnecessary complexity as it grew. Managing payments, merchant services, and related financial tools through different providers meant more supplier relationships, varied service levels, additional admin, and more time spent coordinating processes across separate systems.
For a business focused on delivering tailored guest experiences, this operational friction was a barrier to sustainable growth.
The solution
Cyprus Art Retreat chose payabl. for its regional presence, integrated product offering, including both payabl. checkout and payabl. business accounts, and a personal approach to support.
The recommendation came through a trusted former associate who had already had a positive experience with payabl. This, combined with payabl.’s ability to provide payments, a business IBAN, and payout capabilities in one place, gave Cyprus Art Retreat confidence that it had found an end-to-end partner that could support both current operations and future growth.
For the business, flexibility was especially important. Customers often have different needs and expectations, from intensive painting weeks in the mountains to slower, culture-led stays across the village and surrounding region. payabl.’s solution gives Cyprus Art Retreat the foundation to manage payments professionally while continuing to offer a personalised experience to guests.
Cyprus Art Retreat operates in a highly specialised niche, combining art retreats, rural tourism, and geo-tourism, so the initial setup required a deep understanding of the business model and day-to-day operational needs.
Workflows were tailored and refined, operational nuances were clarified, and the configuration was adapted to fit how Cyprus Art Retreat works in practice.
Since going fully live, the experience has been flawless. The business has reported a 100% successful live transaction experience so far, with transactions processing cleanly and the system performing as required.
“For a small, experience-led business like ours, trust and accessibility matter just as much as the technology itself. With payabl., we have a partner that gives us the infrastructure to grow, while still feeling human, flexible, and easy to reach when we need support.”
Founder, Cyprus Art Retreat
The results
The business now has access to a more coherent payment and financial setup, with the ability to bring acquiring, IBAN, and card capabilities together through one trusted provider. This creates a stronger operational foundation and reduces the need to manage multiple suppliers across different parts of the business.
Just as importantly, Cyprus Art Retreat has gained confidence from working with a partner that feels accessible and human. For a small tourism business, being able to speak to a real person when support is needed is a significant advantage.
- 100% successful live transaction experience to date
- 3 core financial and payment products being used through payabl.
- 1 integrated partner for acquiring, IBAN, and card capabilities
- A clearer path to consolidate business payment operations over the next 12 months
- Greater confidence in scaling with a human-centred provider
“We chose payabl. because it gives us the opportunity to bring our payment and financial operations into one more connected setup. As we continue developing Cyprus Art Retreat and trekking.cy, having acquiring, IBAN, and card capabilities with one trusted partner gives us a stronger foundation for sustainable growth.”
Founder, Cyprus Art Retreat
Why Cyprus Art Retreat partnered with payabl.
The partnership with payabl. is helping Cyprus Art Retreat move from a fragmented supplier setup to a more connected, strategic approach using it's business accounts and checkout solutions.
Previously, the business relied on different providers for the products and services it needed. Over the next 12 months, Cyprus Art Retreat plans to migrate more of its business payment and financial operations to payabl., centralising key services with one trusted partner.
This is expected to bring greater efficiency, clearer accountability, and a more streamlined operational model. By reducing complexity and improving responsiveness, payabl. is helping Cyprus Art Retreat create a stronger foundation for future growth.
For a business built around slow tourism, creativity, and meaningful guest experiences, having the right financial infrastructure in place means more time can be spent on what matters most: creating memorable stays in the mountains of Cyprus.