The assessment that it is necessary to enrich the tourism sector with foreign labor force, taking into account that the increasing arrivals of tourists in Cyprus, require additional hands in the industry, expressed today the Deputy Minister of Tourism Kostas Koumis.
In statements after a tour of the Protaras and Ayia Napa region, Mr. Koumis said that "the results for tourism to date show an upward trend. The quarterly results show an increase of more than 5% compared to the previous year despite the fact that we also have increased arrivals in the tourist resort of Protaras."
He added that "we have an upgrade on the beaches and the services offered have been renewed and it is something that we welcome as the Deputy Ministry of Tourism".
Asked about the issue of the presence of workers from third countries in tourism businesses, Mr. Koumis replied that "it would certainly be preferable to have our compatriots in every position in the tourism industry. But we cannot do without foreign workers and this is proven by the numbers," he said.
Tourism in our country, he explained, "recorded an increase of just over 4 million arrivals in 2016, to almost four million in 2023. All these growing arrivals require additional hands in the industry, we are a country with a limited population so it is imperative to enrich the tourist sector and with a foreign workforce".
What is important, continued the Deputy Minister, is "that these people before entering the industry or during their work are properly trained so that the quality of hospitality does not fall. Now we deal with the field of education but also with the field of education in relation to the development of tourism education and it is precisely for this reason that we also embrace institutions such as the Student Competition "Pausanias the traveler 2024".
For me, said Kostas Koumis, "it is very important that the new generation of our country understands which sectors contribute to the economy, what are the sensitivities that characterize these sectors and that the right messages are received".
To another question, Kostas Koumis answered that "the Deputy Ministry of Tourism is working day and night to have another successful tourist year. In addition, we are putting a special emphasis on upgrading the offered tourist product".
As he explained, "we are trying to take advantage of every opportunity arising from the Recovery and Resilience Fund, we have announced some incentive plans in specific geographical areas of Cyprus, in areas where it is understood that the Fund allows us to proceed with announcements. What we expect is that the specific plans will be utilized by the local authorities in order to have a continuous upgrade of the tourist product".
As the Deputy Minister of Tourism said "it is very important that we all realize that the increase in competitiveness is required, the increase in the attractiveness of destinations is required. If we want to have better days in tourism, all the Agencies must cooperate in order to raise the level of competitiveness of the Services offered".
Asked about the topic of adventure tourism, Mr. Koumis said that "this is a special form of tourism that is on the rise globally and we, as the Deputy Ministry of Tourism, are trying to take advantage of this upward trend. Something like this could be done in the area of Cabo Greco where there is a certain altitude, but maybe in this particular area it cannot be done" he concluded.