Cyprus promotes educational programme on tourism

Minister of Commerce, Industry and Tourism Antonis Paschalides said Thursday that he will promote an educational programme of cooperation in tourism between Cyprus, Jordan, Egypt, to be financed by the EU and the UN agency on tourism.

Speaking to journalists, Paschalides referred to his participation in the XVIII Session of the UNWTO General Assembly (5-8 October 2009) – Facing Global Challenges and setting the Framework for increased Efficiency, in Kazakhstan, saying that the gathering convened by the UN specialized agency on tourism laid the foundations for ways the travel and tourism sectors can deal with the current economic downturn.

Paschalides added that during the Assembly he had the opportunity to meet with his counterparts of Egypt, Syria and Jordan and the newly-elected General Secretary of the World Tourism Organisation, and promote the tourist programme of cooperation, which included training in Cyprus.

''It is a concrete proposal, and I must say there was a positive response to it'', he remarked.

Tourism is the main industry in Cyprus and contributes a great deal to the local economy.