Kostas Koumis: The UAE market is promising and important for Cyprus tourism - The benefits of Investopia

The Investopia Global Mediterranean Forum, which took place in Limassol recently, was a platform for promoting Cyprus as a tourist destination and promoting our country in large markets such as the United Arab Emirates (UAE), both to attract tourists and as an ideal choice for investments in the tourism sector of the island.

As part of the Forum, Deputy Minister of Tourism Kostas Koumis was on a panel entitled 'Beyond Borders: Tourism's Role in Economic Growth and Human Connection', which was also attended by the Minister of Tourism of Greece Olga Kefalogianni, the Minister of Tourism of Lebanon Laura Khazen Lahoud, the Secretary-General of UN Tourism Shaikha Al Nowais and the CEO of Thanos Hotels & Resorts and President of the Cyprus Hotels Association (PASYXE), Thanos Michaelides.

Speaking to InBusinessNews, Koumis emphasised that holding Investopia in Cyprus highlights the importance of the country as an international investment and tourism centre, strengthening ties with the UAE and the wider region.

Noting that the forum was a first-class opportunity to discuss the challenges of global tourism, he indicated that such conferences are beneficial for the Cypriot tourism industry, which makes a great contribution to the local economy.

It is worth noting that, as the Deputy Minister of Tourism indicated, Investopia was held in our country at a time when Cyprus is gaining more and more traction in the United Arab Emirates market, which Kostas Koumis described as extremely important.

As Koumis noted, since the day he took office, there has been increased interest from tourists from this specific market in Cyprus.

"We are pleased to see a steady upward trend, with an estimated 20% increase for 2024 compared to 2023, while the first quarter of 2025 shows an increase of 12.5% ​​compared to the corresponding period last year. On an annual basis, in fact, the total increase in arrivals from the UAE reaches 88% compared to 2023," said Kostas Koumis, adding that this is "a promising and important market, in which we will continue to invest consistently."

Returning the organisation of the forum, Kostas Koumis described as the highest honour for Cyprus the presence of the Minister of Tourism of Greece, Olga Kefalogianni, and the Minister of Tourism of Lebanon, Laura Khazen Lahoud.

He made special mention, however, as a very important development regarding the participation of the newly elected Secretary-General of UN Tourism, Shaikha Al Nowais, who, as Koumis noted, chose Cyprus and the Investopia Global Mediterranean Forum for her first official visit abroad.

Referring also to the tourism product of the island, Koumis indicated that our country has high-quality hospitality facilities and important infrastructure projects, such as marinas, which upgrade the country's position as a destination.

In this context, he made special mention of the strategic development of the Paphos marina, noting that in the coming weeks "we are expected to move to the expression of interest stage at an international level."

At the same time, he emphasised that the Deputy Ministry of Tourism is planning a new policy for attracting theme parks to Cyprus, a new innovative scheme that is in the planning stage.

"We considered it appropriate to refer to this policy during the conference, in order to communicate the intention and take it into account by potential investors who attended the event," explained the Deputy Minister of Tourism.

Concluding, Kostas Koumis emphasised that holding Investopia in Cyprus highlights the importance of our country as an international investment and tourism centre, strengthening ties with the UAE and the wider region.

(Source: InBusinessNews)