Paschalides stresses the tourist opportunities of Cyprus

Cyprus Minister of Commerce, Industry and Tourism Antonis Paschalides has stressed the opportunities that Cyprus offers as a tourist destination.

Speaking in the framework of a press conference of the Cyprus delegation at the International Exhibition ITB Berlin 2011. Paschalides stressed the importance of the German market for the Cyprus tourism, noting that in 2010 the arrivals of German tourists to Cyprus marked an increase of 6,1%.

Specifically, he said, 139 thousand German tourists visited Cyprus in 2010, compared to 131 thousands in 2009. Paschalides said that the opportunities of Cyprus, as a tourist destination to the German market, are much greater, adding that for this reason, the Cypriot authorities will continue the coordinated efforts to attract more tourists to the island.

The Minister of Commerce, Industry and Tourism said that the efforts of the Ministry and the Cyprus Tourism Organisation towards that direction are important and on several levels.

In addition, he said that Cyprus offers a qualitative tourist experience, which in combination with the safety that a European destination offers, it can satisfy visitors with various and different interests.

Regarding the infrastructure works, Paschalides said that Cyprus promotes the upgrading of the infrastructure for the conferential tourism, something that is linked with the Presidency of the EU that Cyprus will take over on the second half of 2012. He also referred to the construction of the third marina in Limassol, which will be concluded by 2012. Additionally, he said that the fourth golf court in Paphos opened few months ago, and that within 2011 the construction of two more golf courts in Larnaka and Paphos, is expected to begin.

Finally, Antonis Paschalides pointed out that Cyprus offers many other forms of alternative tourism, such as the Cultural, Health, Sports, and Agrotourism, and called on the German people to visit Cyprus.