Subsidy schemes to make Cyprus one of the top 30 tourism destinations

The Deputy Ministry of Tourism on Friday presented 12 subsidy schemes aimed at making Cyprus one of the 30 countries with the most developed tourism in the world by helping local authorities, organizations and companies to improve their services and attract more visitors.

The introduction of these 12 schemes, according to the Deputy Minister of Tourism, Savvas Perdios, sets in motion the process of making Cyprus a better tourism destination compared with recent years and “a Cyprus that we hope, by the end of the decade, will be among the 30 countries with the most developed tourism on the planet."

In an online video presentation, Perdios said that his Deputy Ministry took many months to develop these schemes, with the vision to be by the side of those who can benefit from all this work, which, as he said, was done “in good faith”.

He said they have visited almost 300 communities and municipalities throughout Cyprus and expressed the belief that these projects are not only targeted and easy to use but are also inclusive to all businesses that will express interest.

These schemes, he added, follow the five pillars of the National Tourism Strategy, which is to make Cyprus a year-round tourism destination, higher in quality than other countries, digitally smart, one that respects the environment and one which the entire population can benefit from what it has to offer.

He stressed that the schemes do not only concern traditionally tourist areas such as coastal regions, but also mountainous, remote and rural areas. They also concern special forms of tourism, which are very important in the effort to make Cyprus a year-round destination in the coming years, he added.

The schemes, among other things, concern subsidies for the aesthetic upgrading of beaches, for events promoting wine, gastronomy and local products, the organization of international sports events, attracting foreign sports teams for training in Cyprus, conferences, familiarisation trips for the special forms of tourism in Cyprus, and for hosting cruise ships. They also include subsidies for the creation or improvement of facilities to help businesses upgrade their products concerning special forms of tourism, and for the digital transition of providers of other forms of tourism.