Cyprus and Serbia to sign new tourism cooperation deal

Cyprus and Serbia have agreed to sign a Memorandum of Cooperation in tourism in the coming months, with the Republic of Cyprus participating as the honoured country for the first time in its history at the Sajam Turizma 2026 tourism exhibition in Belgrade.

“In this context, we agreed on the signing of a Memorandum of Cooperation in the field of tourism, which will be signed in Cyprus in the coming months, in the presence of the Serbian Tourism Minister Husein Memic,” said Deputy Minister of Tourism Kostas Koumis.

According to an announcement by the Deputy Ministry of Tourism, Cyprus’ participation as the honoured country had been agreed between President Nikos Christodoulides and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic during the Cypriot president’s visit to Belgrade last April.

“The Belgrade tourism exhibition constitutes a reference point both for the Serbian public and for those operating in the tourism sector in the Balkan countries,” Koumis said.

“The Republic of Cyprus had this year the highest honour to be for the first time the honoured country at this very special tourism exhibition,” he added, noting that this “had been agreed some months ago between the Presidents of the two countries.”

Referring to the prospect of closer cooperation with Serbia, he stated that “the Serbian government showed a very strong willingness to build closer and stronger relations of cooperation also in the field of tourism.”

He added that the matter was discussed with his Serbian counterpart, Tourism and Youth Minister Husein Memic, while he also discussed “extensively the aspect of sports tourism” with Sports Minister Zoran Gajic.

The exhibition opened its doors on February 19, 2026, with the official inauguration carried out jointly by Serbian Prime Minister Djuro Macut and Koumis, in the presence of Memic and other officials.

During his stay in Belgrade, Koumis held contacts at both political and technocratic level with Serbian officials, tourism bodies, representatives of Air Serbia and tour operators, while also giving interviews to Serbian media.

He was accompanied by Cyprus’ Ambassador to Belgrade Andreas Fotiou and officials from the Deputy Ministry.

Within the framework of the exhibition, Cyprus presented a new and refreshed image of its tourism pavilions, placing emphasis on Cypriot tradition and nature through the use of video wall technology and decorative elements.

At the Cypriot stand, actions were also organised to promote Cypriot gastronomy and hospitality, highlighting the island’s cultural identity and visitor experience.

In addition to the Deputy Ministry delegation, 20 Cypriot tourism businesses and organisations participated at the national pavilion, reflecting the increased effort to strengthen Cyprus’ presence in the Serbian market.

Koumis said that as a Deputy Ministry they are “satisfied with the contacts we had”.

Moreover, he stressed that “the most important thing for us now, following the successful return of all markets, is to maintain last year’s gains” and “to achieve an increase in arrivals during the winter period.”

The Serbian market recorded a record number of arrivals in 2025, reaching approximately 63,000 visitors, representing an increase of 57 per cent compared with the previous year.

For comparison, arrivals from Serbia stood at 21,000 in 2022, demonstrating significant growth over a three-year period.

Koumis underlined that “the Serbian market as a source of tourism constitutes an important market for our country”.

“Cyprus continues to invest in building a stronger tourism partnership with Serbia,” he concluded.