Koumis wants tourism cooperation with other countries

Deputy Minister of Tourism, Kostas Koumis has stressed the importance of international collaboration to overcome the widespread challenges facing the tourism sector.  

Speaking at the 70th Session of the Europe Commission of the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) in Tirana Koumis emphasised the commonality of issues across European tourist destinations. He pointed out that these challenges, from the energy crisis to inflation and labour shortages, necessitated a unified approach to ensure the sector’s recovery and growth. 

He said, “As a country and as a tourist destination with a history and reliable strategic partners, we have to ensure the high quality of services, which involves repeated visits and multiple benefits for the economy.”  

Koumis outlined Cyprus’ commitment to enhancing its tourism offerings, especially in rural areas, and the ongoing push for cooperation with other European nations facing similar hurdles. “We’ve initiated a comprehensive plan to enhance tourism services nationwide, including rural areas, and will persist in these efforts,” Koumis said. 

The summit, which is a key gathering for UNWTO European Regional Commission members, discussed investment in tourism and its potential to drive economic growth. With Europe reaching 94 per cent of its pre-pandemic tourism levels in 2023, Africa rebounded to 96 per cent, and the Americas to 90 per cent, the meeting served as a crucial platform for addressing the new and existing obstacles to sectoral prosperity. 

During the conference, Koumis held meetings with UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili, his Albanian counterpart Vilma Bello, Israeli counterpart Haim Katz, as well as with Kazakh Minister of Tourism and Sports Yerzhan Yerkinbayev.