Tourism must deliver tangible benefits across local communities, Deputy Minister of Tourism Kostas Koumis said on Friday.

He added that the government is “continuing this year to support the promotion of Cypriot traditional products“.

The minister’s comments were delivered during an address at the 3rd CyFood B2B Forum, held in Larnaca by the local chamber of commerce and industry, in collaboration with the Larnaca regional tourism board.

He explained that the year 2025 is shaping into another record year for the country’s tourism sector.

The first ten months recorded an increase of 11.1 per cent compared with the same period of the previous year and 34.2 per cent over a three-year horizon, the minister mentioned.

He added that “today’s event, through its scheduled business-to-business meetings, visits to producers, thematic presentations and specialised tasting workshops, demonstrates that the country possesses not only high quality products but also a rapidly developing cooperative ecosystem“.

Koumis said that “the country is now observing and following new global trends in tourism”.

He explained that “the new international direction in the field is the pursuit of authentic experiences“.

In addition, he stressed that travellers now “seek local and genuine encounters” during their visits to chosen destinations and that Cypriot wine and gastronomy can undoubtedly offer such experiences even to the most demanding visitor.

Deputy Minister of Tourism Kostas Koumis

Moreover, he stated that “Cypriot cuisine is one of the most authentic and valuable pillars of the island’s tourism identity“.

He described it as “a living expression of tradition, nature and the people of Cyprus”.

Koumis added that “for the government, it is a strategic priority to elevate gastronomy as a central axis of the tourism experience and sustainable development”.

Furthermore, the Deputy Minister said that “linking tourism with local production, products of Protected Designation of Origin and Protected Geographical Indication, and the flavours that characterise each region of Cyprus, is a core goal of efforts to create a tourism product that promotes authenticity and gastronomic identity“.

He also stated that the government is continuing this year to “support the promotion of Cypriot traditional products, with funds from the Tourism Deputy Ministry’s schemes increased for the coming year”.

The budget for events promoting wine gastronomy and local products in communities is now higher, and that the budget for subsidising experiential workshops in traditional handicrafts has also risen, he mentioned.

Koumis added that “tourism is evolving and there is now a clear search for authentic experiences“, saying that “everyone must embrace the effort undertaken through such forums”, which he described as extremely valuable.

He also stressed that in order to achieve substantial results “everyone must support the people taking their first steps in the sector”.