Newsroom
Cyprus recorded its strongest tourism performance on record in 2025, according to Deputy Minister of Tourism Kostas Koumis, who described the year as a landmark moment for the country’s visitor economy.
Speaking during a meeting with local stakeholders in the Paphos district, Koumis outlined the government’s tourism strategy for the coming year, highlighting both the successes achieved and the challenges that lie ahead. He stressed that maintaining momentum will depend primarily on consistently delivering a high-quality experience for all visitors.
A significant share of the sector’s success, Koumis noted, came from Paphos, where tourist arrivals rose by more than 30 percent, meeting expectations and playing a decisive role in the overall performance of tourism in Cyprus.
During the meeting, officials presented upcoming plans and new initiatives for 2026, while also discussing proposals aimed at addressing long-standing structural issues within the tourism industry. Koumis emphasized the importance of uninterrupted operation and service quality across all destinations, explaining that the ministry maintains ongoing dialogue not only with local authorities but with all participants in the tourism ecosystem.
Looking ahead, the Deputy Minister warned that the sector faces broader, cross-cutting challenges, with climate change identified as the most pressing issue. He underlined the need for collective assessment and coordinated responses to ensure long-term sustainability.
Addressing questions about potential shortcomings at the local level, Koumis said no serious deficiencies have been identified, reiterating that safeguarding service quality remains the ministry’s top priority. He added that each official visit includes an evaluation of ten specific criteria to assess what each destination offers in practice.
Koumis also provided an update on the long-delayed Paphos marina project, confirming that the current tender process is proceeding according to schedule. Contract signings are expected in early 2027, and interest from investors remains strong, a development he described as particularly encouraging.
For his part, Paphos Mayor Phaedon Phaedonos characterized 2025 as an exceptionally positive year and said recent data point to strong prospects for future tourism planning. He argued, however, that the next phase of growth should prioritize quality over sheer visitor numbers.
From 2026 onward, Phaedonos said, Cyprus must focus on attracting higher-spending, higher-value tourists, even while ensuring that minimum visitor numbers are maintained to support infrastructure and accommodation providers. “Long-term success will depend far more on quality than on volume,” he noted.
The mayor also called on the Deputy Minister to closely oversee three major infrastructure projects in the Paphos district that he said must begin in 2026: the marina development, a new road linking the tourist zone to the airport, and the completion of the airport’s expansion.
Referring to severe congestion at Paphos Airport in 2025, Phaedonos described scenes of visitors waiting for extended periods in extreme heat as unacceptable, warning that such conditions damage Cyprus’s reputation and must not recur.
Concluding his remarks, the mayor urged the government to ensure that 2026 marks the start of tangible project implementation, rather than another year dominated by planning and delays—a pattern he said has persisted for decades.
