Pafos: Deputy Minister of Tourism, Costas Koumis, has announced that 2025 has been a remarkably successful year for Cyprus's tourism industry, with a new record in tourist arrivals from Germany after 28 years. In a statement made during his visit to the Christmas village in the Statos-Ayios Fotios community in Pafos, Koumis highlighted several international accolades achieved by Cyprus tourism in 2025.
According to Cyprus News Agency, the Deputy Minister emphasized the significance of the German market, which has historically been the largest in the world for outbound tourism. Despite Germany's previously modest contribution to Cyprus's tourism sector, the country had its best performance in 1997 with 250,000 arrivals. Koumis proudly announced that this year, for the first time, Cyprus has surpassed that record, setting a new benchmark in German arrivals. He attributed this success to collaborative efforts within the tourism sector to enhance market promotion and improve air connectivity between Cyprus airports and Germany.
Koumis noted that German tourists are particularly drawn to various sites across Cyprus, underscoring the importance of distributing tourism benefits throughout the island. This year, Cyprus has achieved a significant increase in overall tourist arrivals, surpassing 12% compared to the previous year and 40% over the past three years, he added.
The Deputy Minister also cited an Aviation Council International report, which ranked Cyprus first in Europe for improved air connectivity in 2025 compared to 2024, and second when compared to 2019. Additionally, Cyprus led Mediterranean countries in revenue increase for the first half of the year. The report also highlighted Cyprus's substantial rise in overnight stays in tourist accommodations from 2023 to 2024.
Koumis expressed that 2025 will be remembered as a landmark year for Cyprus tourism, noting the sector's surpassing of previous records in terms of revenue. He emphasized the vital role of economic resilience for the country's tourism businesses, which compete globally. These successes, he argued, are essential for maintaining competitiveness in the international tourism market.