ACTE conference examines the sustainable future of Cyprus tourism

The Association of Cyprus Tourist Enterprises (ACTE) recently hosted a conference on 'Tourism: The Path to Sustainable Development' attended by the Deputy Minister of Tourism, ambassadors, government officials and entrepreneurs in the tourism sector from Cyprus, Greece, and further afield.

The 22 March Conference expanded on topics such as the redefinition of the tourism model through ESG criteria, sustainability, technology, and the human factor, and, more widely, the challenges and prospects for a sustainable tourism product.

Attendees also had the opportunity to be informed about the findings of research, carried out jointly by ACTE and KES College, and related to the shortage of staff at hotels which identified obstacles and suggested incentives to attract staff to the hotel industry in the immediate and long-term future.

During the greeting he read on behalf of the President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulidis, the Deputy Minister of Tourism, Costas Koumis stated that tourism was a special chapter on the path to Sustainable Development which was also something everyone was responsible for. Koumis emphasised that issues of sustainability should be resolved now because otherwise, we will find them confronting us in the coming years. On this year's tourism season, he stated that the goal was to increase tourist arrivals by 5%-10% compared to last year.

On his part, the Deputy Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Transport, Communications and Works, Yiannis Nicolaides, stated that sustainable development and smart mobility were key priorities of the Ministry. At the heart of the efforts was the stability and continuous improvement of Cyprus’ connectivity so that tourism sector operators can continue to contribute to the Cypriot economy.

The Secretary General for Tourism Policy and Development of Greece’s Tourism Ministry, Olympia Anastasopoulou, said her country had discovered that the "Sun and Sea" model was not enough from one point on, and had focused their strategy on enriching the tourism product and visitor experience and in prolonging arrivals both spatially and temporally.

On her part, the Ambassador of Germany in Cyprus, Anke Schlimm, said the island was on the right track to increase the number of German tourists and that to win them over even more, more experiences, activities, and more dynamic marketing were required.

The High Commissioner of the United Kingdom to Cyprus, Irfan Siddiq, referred to the strong tourism relationship between Cyprus and the United Kingdom. He said the UK was pleased that the Cypriot market had recovered quickly after the pandemic. He noted that there were significant challenges for the sector in the context of sustainable development, but with appropriate and valid adjustments Cyprus can maintain its momentum among British tourists.

ACTE Chairman Akis Vavlitis emphasised that uncertainty was now commonplace for tourism. “The challenges are many and successive, and operating costs have skyrocketed due to many factors affecting not only profitability but also the viability of businesses in the sector. That is why we consider it necessary to offer the affected hotel industry special investment sponsorship plans to help it enter the era of sustainable development."

More than 300 people participated in the Conference, while among the speakers were representatives from large organizations, businesses, and institutions such as Grand Hyatt Athens, TUI Care Foundation, Expedia Group, and Hermes Airports.

The conclusions of the Conference will be available to the delegates in the immediate future.

The Conference was held under the auspices of the Deputy Ministry of Tourism, while the main sponsor of the event was Hellenic Bank. Sponsors also included Hermes Airports, Cyprus Certification Company, Athanasis Economides Document Solutions, Monin, A.S. Xinaris & Sons, Dimco-Level Architectural Lighting, PGS Lighting-Electrical, Coffee Care, HRD Polycarpou, Sotos Outdoor, JCC, Puressence, ANAD, Eurotel Hospitality Cyprus, Rooms Furniture and the Hilton hotel, while the official carrier was Aegean Airlines.