tourism contribution

Deputy Minister of Tourism Kostas Koumis emphasized that a sustainable destination respects both its visitors and its resources, both natural and human. He made this statement during his participation at the annual tourism conference organized by the Association of Cyprus Tourist Enterprises (Stek), which was held in Nicosia. The theme of this year’s event was ‘Tourism: New Realities Demand a More Competitive Model’. Koumis highlighted the importance of tourism to the economies of Cyprus and Greece, noting that tourism contributed 12.8 percent to the GDP of Cyprus this year. He mentioned the recognition of the value of tourism on a pan-European level after 2000, especially during the pandemic, and the discussions about creating a common tourism portfolio to address challenges faced by various destinations. Koumis also discussed the need to address reduced air connectivity during winter, the threat of climate change, and the issue of seasonality in Southern European countries’ tourism sector. He proposed initiatives for European citizens to visit destinations within the union during low-visitor months with European funds and mentioned collaboration with the Ministry of Labour to improve vocational training schemes. Koumis stressed the need to improve air connectivity, enhance Cyprus’ tourism product during winter, and the importance of digital transformation in the tourism industry. Myron Flouris, Secretary-General for Tourism Policy and Development at the Greek Ministry of Tourism, discussed the impact of natural disasters on Greece and the importance of planning and prevention for resilience in tourism. Alexandros Thanos, an advisor for the Greek Tourism Confederation, highlighted the significant contribution of tourism to Greece’s GDP and the imbalance in revenue levels among the country’s regions. Stek president Akis Vavlitis emphasized the strong influence of seasonality on Cypriot tourism and called for strategic planning and expedited procedures for the arrival of workers from third countries. The discussion also covered the risks of climate change for the tourism product of countries like Greece and Cyprus and the need for tourism businesses to focus on the human factor and offer authentic experiences.