Cyprus top destination for weddings
Cyprus holds first place among wedding destinations in Europe and the Mediterranean, a CTO official revealed yesterday.
According to Antigoni Kapodistria, wedding tourism is a very important product for Cyprus in terms of arrivals and revenue, as it accounts for 8.5% of arrivals.
The United Kingdom is a priority market as it represents 51% of wedding tourism which corresponds to 4,000 ceremonies. Despite the fact that 2013 is considered an unlucky year for the British, numbers remain similar to 2012, while bookings for 2014 are almost full and 2015 is expected to be even more promising.
Kapodistria added that Cyprus holds the first position among European and Mediterranean wedding destinations due to a number of reasons including direct flight to UK airports, quick and easy procedures for wedding applications and marriage licences, the sun and the sea, the English language and wedding planning according to the tourists’ needs and expectations.
Professionalism and experience at planning weddings and civil ceremonies, as well as an array of locations outside city halls such as hotels, beaches, castles, yachts, wineries and museums are also reasons for Cyprus’ popularity as a wedding destination.
Last but not least, the low cost of combining wedding and holidays is another reason why Cyprus is chosen by tourists for their nuptials.
According to CTO’s strategy department manager Anita Demetriadou, the aim is now to intensify all efforts in collaboration with the private sector, to further increase wedding arrivals and maintain first place among destinations.
“As a product wedding tourism is not affected by the financial crisis and this is a very encouraging element for the development of our investments,” she stressed.
CTO participated in the London National Wedding Show from September 27 to 29 and successfully promoted Cyprus as a wedding tourism destination to attract high society crowds.
CTO’s participation in the event included competitions, souvenirs and wedding treats by a number of Cypriot bakeries and confectioners.
Guests also had the opportunity to claim a free professional wedding shoot with Cyprus sceneries in the backdrop. The photographs were then posted to the CTO website on www.marrymecyprus.com
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