Early indications for bookings in 2026 are extremely encouraging, Deputy Minister of Tourism Kostas Koumis has said, stressing that the major challenge is ensuring that all visitors leave Cyprus satisfied.
The Deputy Minister earlier this week held a meeting in Ayia Napa with stakeholders from the Famagusta district to discuss challenges and review actions relating to the district’s tourism sector.
Speaking after the 5 January meeting, Koumis said, “We are here as part of another flagship government initiative aimed at upgrading the country’s tourist destinations.”
He noted that, during the meeting, in the presence of both mayors and representatives of all tourism stakeholders, they had the opportunity to examine all the characteristics “of the two destinations that have been leading the country’s tourism scene for many years, Ayia Napa and Protaras.”
Koumis added that they reviewed the advantages and disadvantages of these destinations, “as well as the specific threats that have been emerging over recent months, such as climate change.”
The Deputy Ministry’s responsibility, he said, “is to improve coordination with local authorities, which play a crucial role in shaping destinations, as well as with the wider industry, in order to upgrade the tourism product.”
Noting that, “tourism is a highly dynamic sector”, he said that developments move “at a dizzying pace”, new trends emerge every year, new problems and threats arise, “and we must take the necessary measures to remain internationally competitive.”
“I believe we have achieved this to a very good extent in recent years,” he added.
According to Koumis, “the bar remains high for 2026” and that the first indications regarding bookings “are already extremely encouraging”. “The big challenge is ensuring that all these visitors who come to our country leave satisfied,” he added.
He also pointed out that both local authorities - Ayia Napa and Paralimni-Deryneia, “have undertaken significant projects in recent years and have upgraded their destinations,” such as tree planting and green spaces, projects that connect destinations with their history, the installation of sculptures and new landmarks.
He also said they discussed expectations and prospects for 2026. “Everyone knows that tourism is a key pillar of Cyprus' economy, and we must all protect it, work to upgrade it and provide the best possible services - both as municipal authorities and as the business community - so that the recovery and upward trajectory of tourism can continue.”
Ayia Napa Mayor, Christos Zannetou, said that various matters were discussed, including infrastructure projects, supervisory procedures, and the operation of municipalities and local authorities in relation to businesses and tourism, as well as addressing other situations that might create a negative image for the destination.
“Our aim is to attract repeat and high-quality tourists from all age groups,” he added.
“We experienced the best tourist season we have ever had in our municipality and across the entire district” Paralimni-Deryneia Mayor Giorgos Nicoletos said.
“We invested time and money, and placed strong emphasis on alternative forms of tourism, which is what we are focusing on”, he said, adding that they are also discussing the extension of the tourist season.
They were speaking following the presentation of the results of the second coordinated and targeted online promotional campaign for the Famagusta region in overseas markets, held in Ayia Napa.
Later in the day, the Cyprus Hotels Association’s Famagusta branch, presented the results of a targeted online tourism campaign for the district, in Koumis’ presence. The Chairman of the Association’s Famagusta branch, Panagiotis Constantinou, described the results as “excellent”. He said this was an initiative they launched two years ago and that they were targeting “the eight most important markets for us, focusing on the key destinations we wanted to promote.”
Constantinou said that the support of the municipalities and the Deputy Ministry of Tourism was “extremely important in this effort”, expressing the belief that it would be of great held if they could manage to extend the duration of this promotion. Their plan also includes extending the tourist season from November to March, he said.
(Source: CNA)
