Cyprus is presented as a leading example of tourism resilience and market diversification in a report by Oxford Economics and year-round global platform TOURISE, Deputy Minister of Tourism Kostas Koumis has said, welcoming the international recognition of Cyprus' tourism performance.
Koumis was speaking at the 31 August opening of an international development seminar on sustainable tourism, youth employability and mobilising finance, held at The Landmark hotel in Nicosia.
The seminar is organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in cooperation with the Institut de la Francophonie pour le développement durable, which operates under the International Organisation of La Francophonie.
Koumis said the report examined how the sector had offset the loss of the Russian market, focusing particularly on its results in 2024 and 2025.
“For us, resilience is not a theoretical concept; it is an integral part of our tourism planning,” he said.
Cyprus had managed to compensate for the loss of the large Russian market in 2022 by developing several other source markets, Koumis noted. He added that high tourism demand had returned this year following the tourism crisis last March.
Koumis also referred to measures promoted during Cyprus’ Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the first half of 2026, focusing on sustainable tourism development.
These efforts led to the adoption of Council conclusions entitled “Creating Sustainable and Competitive Tourism for the Future”, which link sustainability with competitiveness and recognise resilience to climate change as essential to the sector’s long-term viability.
He said Cyprus’ National Tourism Strategy 2035 aimed to develop a more sustainable, competitive and resilient tourism model, with an emphasis on gradually extending the tourist season and establishing Cyprus as a year-round destination.
These efforts were already producing results, he said, with winter arrivals rising by more than 20% over the past three years.
As part of the seminar, Cyprus is hosting the “Destination Eco-Talents” programme for the first time, bringing together 60 experts from 30 member states of the International Organisation of La Francophonie, as well as international development partners.
Koumis reaffirmed Cyprus’ commitment to developing a tourism model that protects the environment, invests in people and supports local communities.
(Source: CNA)
