More tourists have been heading to the Mediterranean island nation of Cyprus in recent months for winter sun holidays with a noticeable influx of visitors from around the European Union.
Flights to Larnaca and Paphos have seen an increase in passengers from around the EU and the Russian Federation, with 11.7 per cent more Britons visiting Cyprus in February 2011 than did the year before.
While the nation enjoys an influx of tourists visiting the country for beach holidays and other leisure pursuits, officials in the Cyprus Tourism Organisation recently announced a bid to draw more on business travel to the island nation, hoping to boost offerings with a dedicated conferences division within the bureau.
“The whole image of the conference sector will be changed. We’re rebranding as ‘conferences’, as opposed to the generic appearance we usually use for exhibitions,” said Alex Saveriades, a member of the CTO board of directors. “Conferences is our number one priority now as a special project; we’re investing much more than any other sector.”
Business travellers and those looking for Cyprus getaways will both benefit from new developments on the island, including new golf courses ripe for use on holidays in Larnaca and Paphos, Cyprus Minister of Commerce, Industry and Tourism Antonis Paschalides told visitors of the International Exhibition ITB Berlin this year.
While tourism figures had declined for the years of the economic recession, strong figures from the British, German and Russian markets indicated a promising future for tourism in the country.
