It seems that 2013 will be another good year for tourism, Vice President of the Board of Directors of the Cyprus Tourism Organization (CTO) George Mindis said on Friday.

Mindis was speaking at a conference on “Tourism and Competitiveness: delivering results for growth, sustainable development and European citizens”, organized here today by the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) in the framework of the Cyprus EU Presidency.

Representing the Minister of Commerce, Industry and Tourism at the conference, Vice President of the Board of CTO said, inter alia, that tourism sector supports the economy of the country and contributes to the growth and prosperity.

He said that last year’s revenue from tourism stood at 10% of GDP, while tourist arrivals recorded an increase of more than 10%.

Mindis said that for the period up to October 2012 an increasing trend of 4% has been achieved, noting at the same time that it seems that 2013 will also be a good year for tourism in our country.

He said that CTO’s ongoing effort is to strengthen competitiveness in the tourism sector, adding that for improving, diversifying and upgrading Cyprus as a tourist destination, CTO follows a holistic approach in its actions.

He noted that Tourism Strategy of 2011 – 2015 aims at repositioning Cyprus as a tourist destination in the international tourism market by promoting its comparative advantages and uniqueness and offering a multidimensional experience.

In conclusion, he said that a three-member delegation of CTO is visiting China these days to hold talks with tour operators and Chinese government officials.