The Deputy Ministry of Tourism is implementing the European Tourism Agenda 2030, which was established in 2022, through a series of actions and incentive plans, Deputy Minister of Tourism Kostas Koumis has said.
He was speaking at an Association of Cyprus Tourist Enterprises conference on 27 November.
He also said that the Government has prioritised the transition of the sector to the new era, taking into account the new data as they have developed in recent years, always with respect for business and local communities.
In his address during the event, which was also attended by Minister of Labour and Social Insurance Yiannis Panayiotou, Koumis said that the five priority pillars of the European Tourism Agenda 2030, which concern the green transition, the digital transition, building resilience, the inclusion of all social groups, the support of education based on skilling - upskilling and reskilling, and the adoption of new legislative regulations, are being implemented in practice by the Deputy Ministry of Tourism.
The Deputy Minister pointed out that the government is closely monitoring developments in the European Union, but mainly everything that affects or may affect positively or negatively the present and future of tourism in Cyprus.
Sustainable tourism development is the only way forward, he stressed.
Koumis also said that the Deputy Ministry of Tourism, has and continues to make use of the Recovery and Resilience Mechanism, having already initiated the allocation of funds to tourism businesses and local communities, an amount that is expected to exceed €20 million once the measure is finished.
The government, he added, has invested and continues to invest in the qualitative characteristics of Cyprus as a tourist destination.
He gave as examples that support the countryside, the mountainous and remote areas of Cyprus, hotel businesses operating in those areas, investments in the authenticity of Cyprus, ie in local products, through incentive plans with a strong green and digital dimension.
But most importantly, he concluded, “we invested in local communities, in visitors, in people, but also in businesses, whose strong and timeless contribution we certainly recognise.”
(Source: CNA)
