The brand of the country does not change from one day to the next, stated the Deputy Minister of Tourism, Kostas Koumis, in the SIGMA show "Mesimeri ka Kati", stressing, however, that we must develop strategies to attract better quality tourism.
Responding to citizens who pointed out, in the context of the gallop carried out by SIGMA, the need for the arrival of better quality visitors to our island, Mr. Koumis reminded us that "our slogan for decades was the three "S" - Sun, Sea and .. known".
"We were promoting and asking for this type of tourism", noted Mr. Koumis, explaining that "a destination cannot change its DNA overnight". "It is the dream of thousands of young Europeans", he clarified, "to come even for a week to Cyprus and enjoy all that they see on the internet".
The infrastructure solution
The citizens who participated in the gallop also mentioned other improvements that should be made in order to make the tourist product of our country "higher quality".
Specifically, they focused on the need for more cleanliness, on dealing with the "accuracy" that characterizes the Cypriot product and on exploiting advantages for the development of winter tourism, while the overwhelming majority spoke of upgrading the infrastructure.
The Deputy Minister, after taking notes from the citizens' comments, agreed that upgrading the infrastructure is necessary, as it is key to attracting better quality visitors.
"In recent years we have been heading in this direction", citing as an example the construction of marinas for the development of maritime tourism, which he said could involve tourists arriving either by cruise ships or luxury yachts.
In addition, he pointed out that a decade ago there were not many five-star hotels that could attract guests with a higher budget. "Now we are on that path," he said, adding that too many hotel businesses up until 2014-215 had suffered for years.
However, the existing tourism product is bearing fruit
Regarding the general picture of this season, the Deputy Minister described that "we are going through a good tourist year", during which an increase of 27.5% in arrivals compared to last year is recorded, while the revenues up to May are presented increased by 34%.
However, he estimates that, due to the peculiar economic situation that prevails at the pan-European level and the concern about how the situation is shaping up in the international scene, the average length of stay of the visitors will decrease. A phenomenon which, as he explains, does not only concern Cyprus, but many European destinations.
Daily spend increased – per capita decreased
"Right now in Cyprus we have an increase in the daily expenditure from 69 euros which was last year to 79 euros this year, while there is a decrease in the per capita expenditure".
"Usually a decrease in per capita spending is seen in a destination when arrivals increase sharply," he explains.
Cyprus offers itself for all things
At the same time, he expressed the opinion that Cyprus offers holidays "for all tastes" as, as he said, there are opportunities in different areas and in different time periods.
Referring to the findings of a study presented by the European Travel Commission last July, Mr. Koumis said that they show that there has been an increase in the percentage of Europeans who now prefer to take vacations outside the peak season because they are looking for more economical solutions.
Cypriots are "poorer" compared to other Europeans
At the same time, it seems that Cypriots are not as "comfortable" as other Europeans, since they spend less on their holidays in Greek destinations.
According to a survey by the Institute of Greek Studies, to which the Deputy Minister referred, it is shown that the expenditure of Cypriots is 25% lower compared to the expenditure of average Europeans.
"This means that Cypriots may not have the same purchasing power as other Europeans who visit Greece," he points out, adding that "there is a serious reduction in Cypriot spending between 2010 and 2023, with the percentage reaching 35%." .
Paper exercises to promote other types of tourism
Archaeological, religious and conference tourism are only some of the alternative types, which are under the microscope of the Deputy Ministry and for which ways of their further promotion are being considered.
"We must finally highlight our monuments with greater intensity," clarifies Mr. Koumis, saying that "we have the monuments, but we have not managed to highlight any of them as 'must-visit' worldwide or among Europeans. Describing the Curio as the "Coliseum of Cyprus", the Deputy Minister of Tourism emphasizes that "we have not been able to achieve it all these years".
As far as conference tourism is concerned, Mr. Koumis said that we are on the "hunt", highlighting the importance of developing this type of tourism for Cyprus.
"In the last 2-3 years we have improved in terms of infrastructure", in relation to this sector, Mr. Koumis estimates, while referring to the holding of the M&I Forum that is taking place these days in Limassol with the participation of 300 delegates, as well as to conference scheduled for December, which is expected to attract around 2500 visitors.
As he mentioned, we are "chasing" alternative types of tourism such as archeology and sports, however, we still seem to be at a disadvantage in terms of infrastructure, stressing that incentives and expenditures from the state are needed.
In the midst of the prevailing situation in the economy, however, Mr. Koumis clarified that as a Deputy Ministry they will request that expenditures be made "sparingly" in specific directions, for the benefit of the tourism of our country and the Cypriot economy more broadly.
See the relevant excerpt here:
Source: sigmalive