The Nicosia regional tourism board (Etap Nicosia) used an event in Athens on Friday to promote the capital as a destination for Greek visitors, highlighting its cultural attractions, business links, accommodation and transport connections.

Held under the slogan “Nicosia: Greece, we are waiting for you”, the event brought together tourism and business representatives to present the capital’s attractions and encourage greater visitor flows between Cyprus and Greece.

Deputy Minister of Tourism Kostas Koumis told the event that the two countries had long-standing ethnic, political and economic ties, adding that increasing tourism flows in both directions was an important objective.

Every visitor from Greece should visit Cyprus at least once, while every Cypriot should visit Greece at least once, Koumis said.

Achieving that goal would help strengthen the flow of visitors between the two countries, he added, while issuing an open invitation to people from Greece to visit Cyprus.

Cyprus’ ambassador to Greece Stavros Avgoustidis also highlighted the importance of strengthening tourism relations between the two countries.

He said Nicosia offered visitors from Greece a wide range of experiences and invited them to visit Cyprus for a unique experience in the capital of Cypriot Hellenism.

Bishop of Mesaoria Gregorios, who heads the Pilgrimage Tours Office of the Church of Cyprus, presented the main religious monuments and attractions in Nicosia and the surrounding district.

Cyprus’ religious heritage was extensive and should be better known to visitors from Greece, he said.

The business dimension of Nicosia was presented by Cyprus-Greece Business Association president Iosif Iosif, who pointed to the significant expansion of Greek businesses in Cyprus as evidence of the close economic links between the two countries.

The two economies were not competitors but complementary to one another, Iosif said.

He added that the current international economic environment required greater cooperation between businesses in Cyprus and Greece, not only in their respective domestic markets but also in nearby regions such as the Arab countries and the Balkans.

Nicosia mayor Charalambos Prontzos outlined the capital’s advantages across a range of sectors and expressed optimism about its future.

He pointed to the substantial investment made in Cyprus by Greek businesses, the expansion of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens in Cyprus and the large number of students from Greece studying on the island.

He also referred to the close ties between the two countries across a broad range of areas.

Prontzos highlighted Nicosia’s quality and safety of life, as well as its gastronomy, infrastructure, business environment and economic and tourism prospects.

The main speaker was Nicosia Regional Board of Tourism president Theodoros Kringou, who presented the capital’s tourism offering.

Kringou highlighted Nicosia’s attractions and cultural monuments, its gastronomy, ongoing investment and the range of music and other events held in the capital.

He also referred to projects such as the Archaeological Museum and outlined the broader tourism profile Nicosia has developed.

Nicosia PASYXE district committee president Christiana Iakovidou presented the capital’s hotel infrastructure and accommodation services.

Nicosia currently has around 2,300 hotel beds, Iakovidou said, adding that most of the city’s hotels had been recently renovated and offered high-standard services to visitors.

Hilton Nicosia director of sales Vasilis Georgiou also presented the hotel’s services and facilities.

He highlighted Hilton’s advantages and said the hotel was ready to welcome visitors from Greece.

Cyprus Airways chief commercial officer Nikos Ioannou meanwhile outlined the airline’s growth over the past two years.

He said the airline had recorded significant growth following the introduction of a new shareholding structure and new objectives.

Cyprus Airways was also recognised by Athens International Airport in 2025 as the fastest-growing airline, Ioannou said.

He added that the airline’s next objectives included increasing the number of routes to various markets.

The event was attended by the deputy regional governor of Attica, representatives of other Greek regions, airline representatives, tourism industry officials, Greek travel agents and businesspeople.

The event was organised by the Nicosia regional tourism board under the auspices of the Deputy Ministry of Tourism, the Embassy of Cyprus in Greece and the Cyprus-Greece Business Association.

The Athens presentation formed part of efforts to promote Nicosia’s tourism, business and cultural offering directly to the Greek market, with speakers emphasising the longstanding links between the two countries and the scope for further travel and commercial cooperation.