Greece and Cyprus must proceed with respect for the environment and the principles of sustainability for the further development of their tourism product, as they are both destinations based on their natural beauties, said the Deputy Minister of Tourism, Kostas Koumis, at the 2nd Cyprus Business Forum -Greece at noon on Wednesday.
Noting that tourism is a big asset for both countries, he noted that in 2023 the contribution of tourism in Greece exceeded 19% of GDP and in Cyprus it reached 12,9%, while it is estimated that in 2024 it will rise to 13,5 %.
Asked about the commonalities and differences of the two destinations, Mr. Koumis said the most distinct commonality is that they are largely both sun and sea destinations. "We are also hospitable peoples, with common elements of history and mythology, which both countries try to promote," he said. Regarding the differences, he said that Greece is a bigger destination, with a more well-known history of Greek culture, and with a strong brand name of the capital.
Referring to a common negative element of the two destinations, the Deputy Minister spoke about the issue of seasonality. Noting that there is much less demand in winter than in summer, he gave the example of the UK's outbound travel traffic, which he said is down 40% in winter. The point, however, he said, is to operate the destination in the winter months as well, noting a series of moves by the Government to achieve this goal.
In particular, he said that the Deputy Ministry has incentive plans, with which "we try to direct the organization of sports or cultural events during this period so that the destinations come to life". In addition, he also referred to a decision of the Council of Ministers for a training plan of the Ministry of Labor, with which "we are trying to push businesses to remain open during the winter season as well. We support work instead of unemployment. We try to keep the destinations open,” he said. He noted that the big bet is November 2025.
"We've won in October, it's no different to the summer months. This year was the best October ever," he said, noting that some weeks were won in November and some in March. He clarified that not all destinations have the same path, as Paphos has reached nine months and is progressing well for 12 months, since it is not based only on the one-dimensional "sun and sea".
Regarding the air connection between the two countries, he said that Cyprus has two international airports, while Greece has 15. He added that 55 companies operate routes in Cyprus. As he noted, the bet was for the companies to come back after the pandemic or to increase the intensity of their flight programs. "We have succeeded," he said, noting that Cyprus won the world destination of the year award at the world air carrier conference in Bahrain on the topic of improving air connectivity.
However, he noted as a big difference between Cyprus and Greece that Cyprus does not have direct flights from China and the USA. "We are paying for the fact that the population data of Cyprus cannot sustain outbound tourism" for these destinations, he said, noting that an exercise is being carried out in order to increase demand from these two areas. He expressed optimism, however, that an air link with India is possible in 2026, if the companies with which the Deputy Ministry spoke get the aircraft they are waiting for in time.
Asked about this, he said that the first market in Cyprus is the UK market. This was followed by the Russian market, which was lost, as was the emerging Ukrainian market. He noted, however, that the gap has been filled by purchases from other countries, with Israel being the second market today, while there has also been a jump in the market from Poland and other European countries. He mentioned that in Greece the first market for many years is Germany and the second is the United Kingdom, with a share of 16% for each for 2023, while he underlined that in both countries the first five markets are European.
The Deputy Minister also referred to the Greek Government's initiative to create a Coastal and Maritime Tourism Observatory about a year ago. He noted that the aim is to protect the Mediterranean coast, as both destinations are "sun and sea", and we depend on coastal tourism, while the beaches are our comparative advantage. He noted that the number of coasts with erosion problems is very high. "A holistic approach is necessary and required. As a country we supported the initiative," he said.
Finally, he said that the biggest challenge for both countries is the continuation of the upward trend of tourism, as the daily life of thousands of families in Cyprus and Greece depends on it. However, he pointed out that the biggest challenge is showing respect for the environment and the principles of sustainability, as in both countries tourism is based on their natural beauty. "Woe to us if we proceed without respect for the principles of sustainability," he concluded.
Source: KYPE
