Nicosia: Strengthening cooperation between the United States and the Republic of Cyprus is very beneficial for Cyprus tourism, Deputy Minister of Tourism, Kostas Koumis, said on Friday.
According to Cyprus News Agency, the Deputy Minister was speaking during a presentation of the ‘Funding Scheme for Upgrading Hotels and Tourist Accommodations in Rural, Mountainous, and Remote Areas for the Modernisation and Enhancement of the Competitiveness of the Tourism Product’, approved by the Council of Ministers. The scheme has a total budget of three million euros.
Regarding the US market, the Deputy Minister noted that previously Cyprus had not invested in the US market or had invested in the wrong way. He explained that earlier efforts to attract tourism from the entire US territory resulted in competition with much lower-cost destinations.
“This tactic is now changing, and the Deputy Ministry is investing in the eastern region of the US,” he explained, adding that a promotion campaign with targeted actions is currently underway. Koumis emphasized, “We are interested in the US market, our responsibility is to increase demand from this specific market.”
He further noted the broader implications of this strategy, stating, “If we look at the issue more broadly, the closer cooperation between the US and the Republic of Cyprus, as developed by the government, the President of the Republic, and the relevant Minister, is certainly very beneficial for our country’s tourism.”
When asked whether he would accompany the President of the Republic to the US during his planned visit next April, Koumis stated that this decision would be made in due time.