A meeting on integrating artificial intelligence into tourism was held on Thursday between Deputy Minister of Tourism Kostas Koumis and Demetris Skourides, Chief Scientist of the Republic for Research, Innovation and Technology.
According to a statement by the Deputy Ministry of Tourism, the session included a presentation on the National Artificial Intelligence Strategy, with a focus on the tourism sector, to strengthen efforts towards the digital transformation of Cyprus as a destination.
Delivered by the Chief Scientist’s team, the presentation was titled “Smart Tourism 2032: Cyprus’s Artificial Intelligence Strategy” and forms part of the public consultation on the National AI Strategy, which runs until 31 August.
The strategy seeks to position Cyprus as a “Living Lab”, combining cutting‑edge technology with authentic Cypriot hospitality. It rests on three pillars: Smart Tourism Infrastructure, Smart Destination Planning and Management, and the Empowered Digital Tourist, with particular emphasis on small and medium‑sized tourism enterprises.
Koumis stressed that AI has already brought visible changes to tourism functions such as information gathering, travel planning and destination promotion.
“As a Government and as the Deputy Ministry of Tourism, we aim to fully harness artificial intelligence, together, of course, with Skourides’ team, with the objective of both enhancing our country’s competitiveness as a tourism destination and improving the tourism experience,” he said.
He added that improving tourism services is now linked to functions enabled by advances in AI- an area Cyprus must make the best possible use of as a destination.
“In any case, as the Deputy Ministry of Tourism, we believe it is important for the country’s tourism ecosystem to be fully informed, to participate in the consultation and, certainly, to proceed with the full utilisation of all the supportive functions arising from technological progress and the development of artificial intelligence,” Koumis concluded.
