Internet searches for Cyprus have increased by 30 per cent compared to 2019 thanks to targeted digital marketing carried out by mainly local companies, Deputy Tourism Minister Savvas Perdios said on Wednesday.

Digital campaigns reach over a billion phones a year, the deputy minister said in his address to the ACCTA travel agents association’s conference Digi.travel – The Cyprus International digital tourism conference and Expo 2023 at the University of Nicosia.

Perdios added that the deputy ministry has stopped spending money on advertising on TV, radio or magazines due to its limited budget compared to competitive markets such as Turkey, Italy and Spain.

“We have to be very targeted and get as much value for money as possible. So, the vast majority of the marketing we do is now digital. It gives us the opportunity to be very agile, to reach customers where they want to be reached.

“Through our campaigns we reach more than a billion smart phones a year. That’s a huge number,” he said.

The deputy minister added that searches for Cyprus today compared to 2019 are 30 per cent higher and this is due to targeted digital marketing.

“For a country like us that has really changed its tourism identity, there is no better tool than the internet to spread this message,” he said.

Digital marketing has also helped the country move from the “age of sun and sea” to the age of Cyprus as an island rich in history and culture, full of authentic experiences that are available all year round, Perdios said. These experiences, he added, are accessible to all within a very short distance of each other.

He also stressed the importance of good digital content saying the deputy ministry used mainly local companies to create this content. Perdios said there are many good companies in Cyprus in this field.

Referring to examples of digital campaigns by the deputy ministry, Perdios said it has launched the Heartland of Legends route, a 3,000km route of authentic experiences that passes exclusively through the mountains, rural and remote areas of Cyprus.

“On this platform you can find all these authentic experiences, giving small businesses the opportunity to easily market themselves to the public. We helped them to digitise what they offer and make it available to the public,” he said.

The deputy ministry has also set up several projects to help digitally transition businesses by financially supporting those in tourism to become digital.