Tourism in Cyprus is experiencing a remarkable rebound, according to Kostas Koumis, the Deputy Minister of Tourism. He revealed that so far this year, the island has seen a 27% increase in tourist arrivals and a 34% surge in tourism revenue.

Speaking at a workshop organized by the Cyprus Tourism Enterprises Association in Larnaca, Koumis mentioned that the upward trend is expected to continue through September and mid-October. "Our Ministry is closely monitoring the market and striving for the best possible outcomes," he stated.

Despite the positive outlook, both Koumis and Maria Kouroupi, the Senior Director of Communications at Hermes Airports, acknowledged that recent air traffic control issues in the United Kingdom affected flights to Cyprus. The incident led to delays and cancellations of six flights to Larnaca Airport and four to Paphos Airport. However, they expect the affected flights to resume today.

Looking forward, Koumis disclosed that officials from the Ministry will be traveling next month to Finland, Sweden, and France for discussions with key global market players. Specifically, the second week of September will see delegations visiting Finland and Sweden, followed by a significant exhibition in France.

"We are particularly excited about the French market, which has been growing in importance for Cyprus. We expect even better results in the near future," Koumis said.

Addressing other questions, Koumis mentioned that Cyprus signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Greece and Lebanon on May 12th. "The three Tourism Ministers are in touch, and a joint meeting is likely to take place in October. We always expect to derive benefits from such collaborations," he highlighted.

From her end, Maria Kouroupi of Hermes Airports shared an optimistic outlook. "We anticipate that August will close as the best-ever month for Cypriot airports, with around 1.5 million passengers. These results are very encouraging, even exceeding the levels of 2019," she remarked.

Kouroupi concluded by stating that they are working closely with all relevant Ministries, including the Deputy Ministry of Tourism, to extend the summer season. "We believe there's good continuity, providing a solid foundation for future growth," she said.