The need for Cyprus to evolve its tourism model, investing in experiences, new markets and strengthening air connectivity, was highlighted in the discussion held at the 16th Nicosia Economic Congress.
As tourism remains the largest industry in the Cypriot economy, the challenge now is not only to maintain the momentum of arrivals, but also to transition to a more diversified and sustainable development model, with the aim of extending the tourist season and attracting higher-income visitors.
Participating in the panel discussion were Evangelia Eliadou, Executive Director of Pafilia Property Developers and Eleni Kaloyirou, CEO of Hermes Airports Ltd, while the discission was moderated by the Director General of the Cyprus Hotel Association, Christos Angelides.
Eleni Kaloyirou stressed that tourism is the largest industry in Cyprus and, for this reason, it is crucial that it be maintained and further strengthened. As she explained, the majority of passengers travelling to and from Cyprus are inbound travellers.
This means, as she said, that the development of tourism is directly linked to the country's air connectivity. When tourist demand develops from a specific market, the conditions are created for new flights to Cyprus, strengthening the island's connectivity.
Referring to the impact of recent geopolitical developments, she noted that with the start of the conflict between the United States and Israel against Iran, a reduction or suspension of some flights was initially recorded. However, as she underlined, the situation has now normalised and most flights have resumed.
"There are flights today from all destinations," she said, emphasising that the challenge now is to fill the planes. "The challenge now is to fill them. It's in our hands," she added.
A matter of psychology
On her part, Evangelia Eliadou noted that geopolitical developments have affected market psychology and led to some cancellations for the summer. As she assessed, Cyprus is part of the geography of the region, but not part of the crisis, a fact that often affects the perception formed abroad.
According to the expert, during such periods, the reaction of the private sector plays a decisive role. As she mentioned, the Cypriot entrepreneur has learned to operate in a crisis environment and adapt quickly, facing difficulties but also taking advantage of opportunities.
In this context, the Pafilia Group continues its activity with the message "business as usual”, strengthening promotion activities abroad. Among other things, greater emphasis is being placed on online campaigns, social media presence and the use of testimonials from foreign customers who have visited or live in Cyprus.
In addition, familiarisation trips are being organised for journalists from markets of interest, so that they can get to know the country's tourism product firsthand.
Eliadou underlined that the strategy for more sustainable and quality tourism is directly linked to the extension of the tourist season. As she noted, the period from September to December can attract higher-income visitors, provided the right policies are adopted by both the public and private sectors.
A common finding of the discussion was that the next phase of the development of Cypriot tourism will depend largely on product diversification and the promotion of experience tourism, which combines culture, gastronomy, lifestyle and authentic local activities.
(Source: InBusinessNews)
