According to an announcement released on Wednesday evening, despite current challenges, the discussions that took place indicate that visitor numbers from the UK are expected to remain at last year’s high levels. It should be noted that Cyprus welcomed over 1.3 million visitors from the UK in 2023, corresponding to an increase of 100,000 tourists compared to the previous year. Reflecting on these numbers, Koumis expressed his satisfaction with the outcomes of the meetings. “The British market is undoubtedly our country’s top tourism market, and its contribution to Cyprus’ tourism sector is consistently significant and vital,” he stated after concluding his meetings on Wednesday.

Highlighting the arrival figures from last year, Koumis noted that “already in the first four months of 2024, 229,000 Britons have visited our country, which is an extremely satisfactory performance considering the state of the British economy”. “The UK has been in recession for months, resulting in reduced household purchasing power and pressure on businesses,” he mentioned. “Let’s not forget that borrowing interest rates have risen from 0.1 per cent to 5.25 per cent, with all the implications that entails,” the minister added.

However, Koumis also mentioned that the recent signs of recovery in the British economy are having a positive effect on Cyprus’ tourism sector. “What pleases us from the meetings is that the goal we set at the beginning of this season, which was to replicate last year’s performance, is clearly within reach,” Koumis said. “Regarding 2025”, he continued, “most companies are still in the planning stages, and we had the opportunity to exchange views on broader tourism matters as well as on specific forms of tourism that we consider to be of particular importance”.

Meanwhile, during his visit to London, Koumis also met with members of the Cypriot community and held discussions with Christos Karaolis, President of the National Federation of Cypriots in the UK. Finally, the announcement noted that the Deputy Minister of Tourism is set to return to Cyprus on Thursday.

Source: Cyprus Mail