Tourism in Cyprus remains an important part of the economy, but Deputy Minister of Tourism Costas Koumis warns against complacency.
During an event celebrating World Tourism Day 2024 on Friday, in Nicosia, Koumis stressed the need to redefine tourism’s role amid ongoing challenges such as climate change.
Speaking at the event, organised under the auspices of the President, Nikos Christodoulides, Koumis expressed caution despite recent growth in tourism.
“The positive course of tourism over the last two years is not suitable for either triumphalism or complacency,” he said, adding, “The big challenge now is to redefine the role of tourism for the economy, entrepreneurship, the environment, and society.”
This year’s World Tourism Day theme, “Tourism and Peace,” chosen by the World Tourism Organisation (UN Tourism), underscored the crucial role tourism plays in peace-building.
The event began with a message from the UNWTO Secretary-General, Zurab Pololikashvili, who emphasised how travel and cultural exchange can foster reconciliation and peace globally.
In his welcoming remarks, Koumis stressed that this topic is perhaps more relevant than ever. “Tourism is emerging as one of the most powerful values that can bring people closer together and promote peace, international cooperation, and friendship,” he stated.
Reflecting on Cyprus’ experience, he mentioned how tourism is severely impacted when peace is disrupted, making the theme particularly pertinent for the island.
Koumis also provided a brief historical review of Cyprus’s tourism sector, which has repeatedly faced and overcome crises.
Referring to recent performance, he noted the sector’s resilience despite challenges, sharing that “the January-August statistics record an increase in arrivals of 4.1 per cent compared to the same period last year,” even surpassing 2019’s record-breaking figures.
Furthermore, he pointed out that “tourism revenues in the first half of the year also record an increase of 4.2 per cent compared to the same period last year,” despite the difficult global environment in 2024.
However, Koumis was clear that there is no room for complacency. He reiterated that the future of tourism is not guaranteed due to pressing challenges, with climate change being the most significant.
“The positive performance of tourism over the last two years does not lend itself to either triumphalism or complacency,” he said, before stressing that “the most important challenge that acts as an existential threat to the whole society, the economy, and tourism is climate change.”
To address this, the Ministry of Tourism has included a special chapter on the green transition in the revised National Tourism Strategy.
Koumis said that the competitiveness of any tourist destination is now “directly linked to the implementation of sustainable and environmentally responsible practices.”
He added that “this is a one-way street if we want our country’s tourism to continue to be competitive,” and argued that effective destination management is key to maintaining success.
Koumis touched on the importance of human capital, describing it as a “critical parameter for building a comparative advantage for each destination.”
He reinforced the Ministry’s goal to ensure a successful transition for the country’s tourism, concluding, “The big bet now is to redefine the role of tourism for the economy, entrepreneurship, the environment, and society,” urging collective action to meet this challenge.