Deputy Minister for Tourism Kostas Koumis has said that 2024 is a reference year for tourism, following the record numbers in arrivals and revenue.

Koumis, who made a statement on Friday following figures released by the Statistical Service on September profits, said that he was quite pleased, adding that numbers show that the tourist sector has recovered and records high numbers as it did in the past.

Koumis also noted that there is no reduction in the average per capita expenditure and added that we are looking to 2025 with optimism.

He said that emphasis is placed on investing in the countryside, protecting the environment and producing benefits for local communities.

According to a press release issued by the Deputy Ministry, tourism revenues for the period January – September 2024 recorded an increase of 31.1%, compared to the corresponding period in 2022 and 15.3% compared to 2019.

It added that numbers confirm the success of the decisions taken in relation to the target markets, as well as the resilience of the sector.

Arrivals for January – October, which were published a few days ago, record an increase of 4.6%, compared to 2023, an increase of 26.7% compared to the corresponding period in 2022 and an increase of 0.8% compared to 2019.