Tel aviv: Deputy Minister of Tourism Costas Koumis and Israeli Minister of Tourism Haim Katz held a meeting in Israel, confirming the strong ties between the two countries that expand to the tourism sector. Koumis, who is in Israel for the International Tourism Fair IMTM, emphasized the significance of the Israeli market, noting its rapid growth and its status as one of the most important tourism markets for Cyprus.
According to Cyprus News Agency, Koumis met with Strategic Partners of Cyprus during the exhibition, focusing on increasing tourist arrivals during the winter period and promoting special forms of tourism. He stated that the priority is to enhance tourist flows during the winter and to explore opportunities in niche tourism sectors.
The press release highlights that 2025 saw a historical record in tourist arrivals from Israel, surpassing half a million visitors for the first time. With a total of 588,000 arrivals that year, Israel ranked second in terms of tourist arrivals to Cyprus, following the United Kingdom. This represents a 38.4% increase compared to 2024 and a 112.3% increase over a three-year period (2022-25).
Israel's impact is notable in terms of revenue as well, with per capita visitor spending reaching £682 for the period January-November 2025. This marks an increase of 2.9% compared to the previous year and a 13.4% rise over the three-year period (2022-25), the press release concludes.