The government is investing not only in achieving numerical targets, but also in the qualitative characteristics of Cyprus as a destination, Deputy Minister of Tourism Kostas Koumis has said, noting that all stakeholders have a responsibility "to jointly plan our country's tourism for the next decade, understanding together that tourism is entering a new cycle".
Koumis was speaking during the Annual General Assembly of the Association of Cyprus Travel and Tourism Agents (ACTTA) in Nicosia.
According to the Deputy Minister, the timing of this year's General Assembly brings Cypriot tourism to the close of another successful year, but also faces major challenges ahead of 2026, with the most important being the Republic of Cyprus's assumption of the Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the first half of the year.
He added that the three-year period 2023-2025, which ends in about a month from today, can be described as "the absolute period of recovery for Cypriot tourism, but also confirmation of its resilience, since despite being tested repeatedly in the post-Covid era, it continued to fly high."
As he stated, Cyprus is the country with the highest change in the tourism revenue index for the first half of the year among all European Mediterranean countries.
He also cited data published by Eurostat two months ago, according to which Cyprus is the country with the largest increase in overnight stays in hotel accommodation between 2024/2023, with the rate of increase reaching 14.5% compared to the European average of 2.7%, adding that "our country's tourism has not simply recovered, it has surpassed all previous records in terms of quantitative targets."
Since taking office as a government in 2023, we have prioritized not only the recovery of the sector, but also building of long-term resilience, the Deputy Minister continued, adding that tourism can no longer be evaluated solely on the basis of numbers.
"The time has come to start evaluating success in tourism differently, and certainly to re-examine the long-standing challenges of tourism, such as seasonality, which I also believe needs to be re-examined in light of new data. Most importantly, however, the time has come to invest even more in green and digital transition, but above all in local communities, because tourism as an economic sector must be not only productive but also, above all, rewarding," he further emphasized.
Koumis added that the pillars of development based on the principles of sustainability, support for local communities, and the promotion of local products, as well as actions to protect the natural environment, have essentially been highlighted by the European Agenda for Tourism 2030, which was established in 2022 and is being implemented by the government and the relevant Deputy Ministry.
He added that the Deputy Ministry of Tourism, as the competent state body, has utilized and continues to utilize the Recovery and Resilience Facility, having already channeled funds to tourism businesses and local communities, an amount that is expected to exceed €20 million by the end of the measure, investing in the upgrading of the countryside, mountainous and remote areas, supporting hotel businesses operating in these areas and the timeless value of authenticity, "something I believe could be one of the secrets to success in the coming years."
"The investment in creating a truly competitive digital application, the action to write the history of Cypriot tourism, and the announcement of a study on medical tourism are actions that belong to the same framework, which demonstrate beyond any doubt that as a government we have not only invested in achieving numerical performance, but also invested and continue to invest in the qualitative characteristics of Cyprus as a destination," he stressed.
"With the end of 2024 and the achievement of historic records in arrivals and revenue, we rightly called 2024 a landmark year for tourism in our country. In 2025, tourism performance rose even higher," he noted.
Now, the Deputy Minister pointed out, "I believe that we all have a responsibility. We must jointly plan our country's tourism for the next decade, understanding together that tourism is entering a new cycle," adding that the effort essentially involves building a more modern tourism model, more authentic for visitors and more beneficial for the country's citizens, while investing in the Cyprus tourism experience.
Addressing travel agents, he said that they have the opportunity, the influence, and power to be the best companions in this great challenge, and expressed his certainty that with the action plans, they will be called upon many times to plan together after the announcement of the new tourism strategy, and will prove to be worthy companions.
