Thanks to Russian tourists, the future of inbound tourism in Cyprus looks very promising. The number of Russians coming to Cyprus is steadily rising and it looks as if it will not stop growing any time soon. Since the Russians bring a lot of money to Cyprus, the Ministry of Tourism is doing whatever it can to support the positive trend.
The Minister of Trade, Industry and Tourism of Cyprus, Antonis Paschalides, has announced the figures concerning the predicted growth in the number of Russian tourists in Cyprus. According to Mr. Paschalides the Russian tourist flow will go up this year by 50-60% and more importantly, the trend is likely to remain the same in the following years.
Mr. Paschalides announced the positive tourism figures when visiting Russian capital. He met key tour operators and authorities there. He noted that the number of Russian tourists in Cyprus reached 157,000 in August 2010, which is 50% more compared to the same period last year. It is expected that the number is going to reach almost 60% by the end of the year.
In order to support the successful development, the head of tourism industry in Cyprus also announced plans for the establishment of three other consular offices in Russia, namely in the remote cities of Samara, Yekaterinburg and Krasnodar. The new consular offices are part of a comprehensive strategic program aimed at promotion of Cyprus as a tourist destination in the Russian market, in which Mr. Paschalides sees a huge potential.
Nowadays, Russia is, after the UK, the second most important market for inbound tourism in Cyprus. Moreover, as the Director-General of Cyprus Tourism Organization (CTO), Lefkos Phylaktides, reported, Russian tourists tend to spent over 900 euros on average when in Cyprus compared to 600 euros spent on average by British tourists.
I invite Cypriots to Russia. Please visit my country, there's so much to see!