Cabinet approves five tourism incentive schemes for Cyprus

Nicosia, Cyprus. Cyprus’ cabinet on Thursday approved five tourism incentive schemes covering Kato Pyrgos, conferences, foreign sports teams, rural experiences and Christmas villages. The measures aim to attract visitors beyond established resorts and the busy summer months.

Specialist tourism and regional development

Tourism Deputy Minister Kostas Koumis announced the measures after the cabinet meeting, saying they were intended to develop specialist tourism, expand services available to visitors and increase tourism flows to less popular areas.

The largest targeted investment is a €1.5 million grant scheme for hotels, tourist accommodation and leisure centres operating in Kato Pyrgos Tyllirias.

Under the programme, which will run from 2026 to 2028, businesses will be able to receive funding covering 85 per cent of eligible expenditure on improvement projects.

Koumis described the scheme as a “targeted intervention” for an area which, despite its natural and cultural strengths, continues to face development difficulties. He said it was “practical proof” of the Christodoulides government’s commitment to supporting remote border communities.

Conference and sports tourism

The cabinet also approved four-year incentive schemes aimed at strengthening Cyprus’ conference and sports tourism markets.

The conference tourism programme, covering 2026 to 2029, will have an annual budget of €150,000. Koumis said its main change was its four-year duration, which “allows organisers to plan their events in Cyprus well in advance”.

Conference tourism is regarded as a high-value market segment, while events outside the peak holiday season can bring business to hotels, restaurants and other tourism operators during quieter months.

A separate programme with an annual budget of €400,000 will seek to bring foreign sports teams to Cyprus for training and preparation.