According to an official announcement released on Wednesday, the meeting focused on strengthening and coordinating bilateral and multilateral cooperation. The ministers agreed to establish an inter-ministerial committee, which they will head, to facilitate the exchange of expertise on various key topics, including sustainable tourism development and the integration of artificial intelligence within the sector.

The meeting was well-attended, with figures like Costas Constantinou, director general of the Deputy Ministry of Tourism, and Vasiliki Koutsoukou, secretary general of the Greek Ministry of Tourism, contributing to the dialogue. In a significant move to strengthen ties, Koumis confirmed Cyprus’ support for Greece’s Harry Theoharis in his bid for Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organisation (UN Tourism), alongside Greece’s re-election to the executive board. Following these discussions, Koumis met with leaders from the Greek tourism industry, including the Association of Greek Tourism Enterprises (SETE) and its research wing, INSETE. These discussions focused on addressing current challenges in tourism and reviewing the progress of Marketing Greece since its establishment.

Talks with INSETE centred on its research and educational efforts, showing a shared interest in formalising cooperation between Cyprus’ Deputy Ministry of Tourism and INSETE to solidify their partnership.

The meeting also previewed potential synergies ahead of Cyprus’ upcoming presidency of the Council of the EU, with both countries keen to launch joint initiatives addressing the impact of climate change on tourism and other mutual interests.

Source: Cyprus Mail