Deputy Minister of Tourism Kostas Koumis on Thursday said that the strengthening of diplomatic relations between Cyprus and Jordan is helping to significantly lift the island’s tourism sector.
In an announcement by the ministry, Koumis emphasised the considerable potential for enhanced collaboration between the two countries’ tourism partners.
In the coming days, he explained, a new comprehensive cooperation plan will be proposed to Jordan after consultations with Cypriot tourism stakeholders.
Moreover, during a visit to Amman, the capital of Jordan, Koumis engaged in a series of meetings aimed at promoting Cyprus as a destination, coinciding with the introduction of new flight routes.
Starting on Thursday, Royal Jordanian Airlines will operate flights from Amman to Paphos Airport twice a week, in addition to its existing schedule of four to six weekly flights to Larnaca Airport, strengthening its already robust service to Cyprus.
In his visit to Jordan, Deputy Minister Koumis met with Jordanian Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, Makram Queisi, to discuss further cooperation between the two nations.
He also held talks with senior executives of Royal Jordanian Airlines, led by CEO Samer Majali, top officials from the Jordan Tourism Board, and Archbishop Christoforos of Kyriakoupolis (Jordan), exploring ways to develop religious tourism between Cyprus and Jordan.
The Cypriot delegation, along with Royal Jordanian, hosted an event where Cyprus was presented to industry professionals and Jordanian journalists. Koumis also gave interviews to Jordanian media following the event.
Reflecting on his meetings in Amman, Koumis stated that “Jordan is geographically very close to our country, with which we share many ties”.
“Beyond the good relations between our peoples, our diplomatic relations have undeniably improved in recent years, a sentiment echoed in our meetings with tourism partners,” the minister said.
“Last night, following the presentation, both media representatives and tourism professionals spoke highly of the strengthened diplomatic relations and the significant role our country now plays in the region,” he added, noting that “they referred to our government’s ‘Amalthea’ maritime humanitarian corridor initiative and the President’s meetings at the Dead Sea international conference earlier this week”.
What is more, Koumis highlighted that “the strengthening of diplomatic relations between the two countries also supports the tourism sector”.
Welcoming the addition of new routes by Royal Jordanian, Koumis expressed optimism that the positive trend in the Jordanian market will continue.
“There is great potential for enhancing cooperation between our tourism partners, and I strongly believe in creating joint tourism packages,” he said.
Koumis explained that although this topic was discussed previously without implementation, it was considered appropriate to reintroduce it in the meeting with his Jordanian counterpart.
Finally, it was noted that in the coming days, a new comprehensive cooperation plan will be proposed to Jordan after consultations with Cypriot tourism stakeholders.
