In a difficult period, the Deputy Ministry of Tourism is intensifying its efforts to promote the tourism product, through the National Strategy’s medium-term action plan 2023-2025, Deputy Minister Savvas Perdios said on Tuesday, expressing satisfaction with the revenues recorded from tourism for 2022.

In his address at the annual General Assembly of the Cyprus Hotel Managers Association (CYHMA), held in Limassol, Perdios said that according to official statistics, revenues have reached almost 90% compared to 2019, noting it was an achievement that leaves everyone satisfied considering the ongoing war in Ukraine that started 11 months ago.

He said, among other things, that, focus will be placed on the promotion of remote areas such as Polis Chrysochous and Tylliria. Perdios also noted that, the pillars of the action plan include issues of accessibility and the environment for which “the Deputy Ministry is preparing specific programmes to improve the services provided but also to highlight that, yes, Cyprus has the necessary infrastructure to be an accessible tourist destination, but it also has the products to be able to emerge as a climate-beneficial destination.”

Referring to the pillar for enriching the product, he said that the 13 destination labels of the Deputy Ministry will be strengthened with three more, namely “themed beaches, stays in nature and wellness destinations”.

He also spoke of specialised actions in the field of maritime tourism and strengthening the sense of security of visitors to Cyprus, while emphasising that “very important work has been done in the field of air connectivity in recent years”.

According to Perdios, for 2023, 56 flights per week are expected from Israel, 45 from Germany and 45 from Scandinavian countries, 34 from Poland, 25 from Austria, also 25 from Italy as well as France, 20 from Switzerland and 20 from Serbia.

Addressing CYHMA, and all stakeholders in the tourism industry, he sent the message that “we must continue to give due importance to these European and Middle Eastern markets - such as Israel and soon Saudi Arabia”.

“If we do this, I believe that the work that we have all put in together for the last four years will not go to waste”, he said.

The Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s Tourism Vice President, Costas Galatariotis, in his address, referred to the challenges facing the sector after the pandemic the ongoing war in Ukraine and the economic crisis, noting that, “we must manage the challenges with prudence and cooperation, so that our tourism continues to be the engine of our economy and contribute as much as possible to the country's GDP”.

He also said that everyone's vision is for Cyprus to become a sustainable year-round quality tourist destination, which will attract more than five million visitors annually, who will create significant added value for Cyprus, the local community, businesses, the environment and the economy.

Speaking before the Assembly, CYHMA’s President, Dr. Christos Angelides, analysed the difficulties that society and, by extension, the tourism industry have to face in 2023, underlining that “in this context and environment, we will be invited to demonstrate, for another year, as a state, as businesses, as individuals, the corresponding patience and composure and the strategic cooperation, through which we operated in the previous difficult years”.

He also analysed CYHMA’s actions and initiatives in recent years and emphasised that the vision is a better tomorrow for everyone, with upgraded hotel professions, the creation of a studies and research centre for the tourism industry, the promotion of Cyprus in every means available as a year-round holiday destination and a profitable tourism and hotel industry, which can contribute to the upgrading of the standard of living of all citizens.