Deputy Tourism Minister Savvas Perdios has said that a goal has been set for Cyprus to be among the 30 most competitive tourist destinations by 2030.

In statements after a meeting of the Cabinet, on Wednesday, during which the national strategy for tourism until 2030 was submitted, Perdios said that the aim is to increase tourism’s contribution in the Cypriot economy from €2.9 billion per year to €4.5 billion per year.

Cyprus ranks 44th in the world today as a tourism destination. Spain ranks 1st, France 3rd and Italy 8th. Portugal is in 12thplace, Greece in 25th, Croatia in 27th and Malta in 35th.

“There is a lot of work for us to do so that Cyprus can be included in the 30 top tourist countries in the world, which is an important goal for the Deputy Ministry in the next ten years,” Perdios noted.
 
According to the Deputy Minister the national strategy will be presented Parliament on January 21st and comprises five key pillars.

The first one is to make Cyprus a year-round tourist destination, the second is for the entire island to benefit from tourism not just coastal areas, the third pillar is to establish Cyprus as a quality destination, the fourth pillar is for Cyprus to better use digital technology and the fifth has to do with climate change and sustainable growth.

Referring to the strategy’s fifth pillar, Perdios explained that the country’s image as a destination which cares about the environment needs to be enhanced. This, he pointed out, is something which is of particular interest to Scandinavian countries which have made huge progress and their citizens are interested in choosing environment friendly tourist destinations.  

Asked what the projections are for the next tourist season, he said that no negative impact is expected after tourist operator Thomas Cook ended its operations, adding that so far Brexit doesn’t seem to be affecting Cyprus, although “it is something we are continuously monitoring.”

Replying to a question whether the court case against a British holidaymaker who was recently convicted on a charge of “public mischief” regarding a gang-rape allegation she had made, Perdios said that “it is too soon to say whether it has affected us or whether it will affect us.”

According to the Deputy Tourism Minister the goal is to ensure that no panic will ensue.  He added that the Deputy Ministry is monitoring the situation and is in touch on the matter with all tourism bodies in Cyprus.

He further noted that in the coming months Cyprus’ new tourism branding is expected to be launched, which will “further boost the country’s tourism not just this year but also in the coming years.”
 
Perdios continued saying that indications so far for this year are that tourist arrivals will be at similar levels as last year and that this will likely continue in 2021. He also referred to steps taken to increase tourist arrivals from new markets such as Germany, Holland and Scandinavian countries.

Referring to Cyprus’ air connectivity, he said that arrivals from Germany are expected to increase by 20% as a result of an agreement with German airline Condor in coordination with Hermes Airports, adding that in the next two years Cyprus will place an emphasis on increasing flight schedules.