Limassol, Cyprus. Deputy Tourism Minister Kostas Koumis said Limassol remains a highly competitive Mediterranean tourist destination but must continue improving its infrastructure and services. He spoke on Monday after meeting local authorities and industry stakeholders in the city.
Meeting with local authorities and industry
Koumis chaired a meeting at the Limassol Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Evel) attended by representatives of the Limassol regional tourism board (Etap), the four mayors of the wider Limassol area and various tourism professionals.
He said the deputy ministry recognises the important role of local authorities in upgrading tourism services and has asked each municipality to submit memoranda based on ten points set by the ministry.
“We want an open and thorough discussion to take place, in order to upgrade the individual destinations,” he said, adding that the government frequently announces plans to upgrade tourist areas and intends to proceed “immediately after analysing all the data”.
Visitor share and competitiveness
Koumis said Limassol accounts for 12.4 per cent of total visitors and is “recognised as a particularly competitive destination throughout the Mediterranean”.
“It is a destination for which we receive extremely good comments,” he said, while stressing that “we all move forward together in order to improve it even more”, and pointing to improvements recorded during the winter season.
Calls to upgrade public spaces
During the meeting, stakeholders raised the need to upgrade public spaces so they can support tourism in the coming years.
Koumis referred to the Tsireio stadium and the coastal front, saying these are “issues that the government is aware of”.
He also said the coastal road, once completed, is expected to boost tourism in Limassol.
Hotels and visitor profile
Koumis said most hotels in the city are of a very high standard and that Limassol primarily attracts higher-income visitors.
What upgrades to public spaces would you like to see prioritised to support tourism in Limassol?
