The Paphos regional tourism board (Etap) on Thursday announced a change in leadership, with Michalis Mitas appointed as its new president.

Mitas takes over following the conclusion of previous president Kyriakos Drousiotis’ two consecutive terms from 2021 to 2025.

At a special session held on Wednesday, the outgoing president said that he was “handing over a financially healthy tourism organisation with a legacy for an even smarter, more accessible, sustainable, and creative destination“.

In addition, he wished the new president “success in continuing the productive work of his predecessors and contributing further to the strengthening and consolidation of Paphos’ tourism body”.

He also thanked the board members and the administrative team “for their excellent cooperation, support, and the work that had been accomplished”.

From his side, the new president, Michalis Mitas, stressed that the core actions of the board, such as upgrading and enriching experiences, as well as various promotional activities, “would continue uninterrupted and be further strengthened“.

The board met on Wednesday, July 16

Furthermore, he stated that his goal was to “enhance collaborations with partners and promote solutions to long-standing issues, mainly concerning accessibility, the abandonment and decline of rural areas, as well as maritime and coastal tourism, among others”.

He added that he would also work towards further strengthening the board’s financial position.

It should be noted that Mitas assumes the presidency of the organisation for the two-year period from 2025 to 2027.

Etap Paphos also shared that Mitas has been a board member of the Paphos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Evep) for the past 15 years and has also served on the boards of various organisations.

He currently holds the position of assistant general secretary of the Cyprus Football Association (CFA).

Finally, the announcement mentioned that Mitas has an academic background in business administration and marketing and has been “professionally involved in managing tourist accommodations for the past 35 years”.