Deputy Minister for Tourism Kostas Koumis said that if we want to achieve better results and a resilient tourism industry, we need the right policies and an alignment of all stakeholders.

In his address at the 45th Cyprus Hotel Summit & Exhibition, organized by the Cyprus Hotels Association in Limassol, the Deputy Minister announced that Cyprus will host, next October, a regional European conference of the World Tourism Organization, dedicated to gastronomy, which - as he said - is important for the promotion of our country as a successful tourist destination.

He noted that until now Cyprus has not managed to adequately promote its gastronomy at an international level, adding that the Deputy Ministry is proceeding with plans to celebrate 800 years of international recognition of the Commandaria wine and the contribution of culinary Cypriot products.

Announcing the organisation of the regional conference on gastronomy he noted that this is "an achievement and at the same time, a huge opportunity for our gastronomy in the whole tourism sector". In addition, he said that market trends favor wellness, sports, adventure experiences, agrotourism, the combination of extended business trips with leisure (bleisure), religious/cultural tourism, as well as destinations for seniors and people with disabilities.

Referring to the existing incentive plans and the actions of the Deputy Ministry, Koumis announced that, in the coming days, a new incentive plan for the remote areas will be announced to strengthen agrotourism, saying that this is a strategic priority for the government.

In his presentation, the Deputy Minister for Tourism referred to the green and digital transition, calling it "a great twin challenge, affecting people's perceptions and preferences and of course the destinations themselves".

Koumis said that every policy and every incentive program is currently connected to these two pillars, underlining that "we all need to work collectively in these two directions" adding that the Deputy Ministry also invests a lot in awareness.

For a tourism industry to be successful, he pointed out, policies are needed to encourage the sector to respond to market trends and policies that enhance the quality of the product.

"The quality of the experience will be remembered much longer than its cost" he continued adding that to this end, the Deputy Ministry is investing in the improvement of the infrastructure offered.

The Deputy Minister for Tourism noted that  the Cyprus destination is affected by the decisions and actions of many different stakeholders, adding "if we want to achieve better results, we have to align."  It is important to set common priorities and common goals, as partners and members of the Cyprus Tourism Ecosystem, he continued.. 

"Once we achieve this, we will also achieve a more resilient tourism sector", he concluded.