Experts and analysts make very optimistic forecasts regarding the development of the tourism industry in Cyprus in the coming year. According to many experts, 2018 can update most of the records. It is also believed in the Ministry of Energy, Trade, Industry and Tourism of the country. The Tourism Association considers its immediate goal to reach 5 million tourists a year. This figure is growing from year to year. For example, a record of 3.6 million guests was set last year. Thus, the growth for the year was 15% compared to 2016. At the same time, the income of the tourism industry is constantly growing. Already by November last year, the Ministry received 2.6 billion euros.
The Ministry has every reason to believe that in the coming year, the upward trend in the volume of tourist flow and income will continue. The beginning of the year in many ways strengthens the experts in this opinion. For example, a significant number of seats have already been reserved for this year on air routes connecting Cyprus and other countries. By the beginning of the year, several packages of agreements have already been concluded with tourist operators of foreign countries, and we can also note a growing number of booking tours for the upcoming summer season.
Just 15 years ago, Cyprus was not even included in the top ten holiday destinations in Europe. And now we can safely say about Cyprus that it is not only a warm country where people go only by the sea. Tourist flows associated with the study of the culture and history of the country have grown very seriously, the direction of business tourism has grown, and Cyprus has also made a serious step in the field of investment attractiveness, including real estate. The government of the republic plans to create a special department to control and monitor the tourism sector. In the very near future, the corresponding bill will be submitted for consideration. Also in the plans, in this regard, the creation of a tourism strategy for Cyprus.
The main task in the current Ministry of Energy, Trade, Industry and Tourism is to improve the level of service. The comfort and safety of guests of the country is at the forefront of this task. Of course, solving this problem will require additional financial infusion, but such an investment, as the practice of the past 10-15 years shows, fully pays for itself when it comes to such a hospitable country as Cyprus.
