Filenews 14 February 2026 - by Angelos Angelodimou
Within the next nine years, i.e. until 2035, the competent bodies, especially the Deputy Ministry of Tourism, have set a goal of increasing tourist arrivals to 5 million, from 4.04 million. in 2024.
However, this will be attempted to be achieved not by "burdening" the summer months more, but by dispersing arrivals in autumn and spring, in order to achieve the goal of a year-round destination.
Yesterday, the Council of Ministers approved the new National Tourism Strategy, with a horizon of the year 2035. This is an updated version of the National Tourism Strategy 2030, which was approved by the Council of Ministers in 2020. The new Strategy has been revised to place special emphasis on issues such as sustainable tourism development, green transition, digital transformation, and the improvement of infrastructure and in particular accessibility infrastructure.
Speaking after the meeting of the Council of Ministers, the Deputy Minister of Tourism Costas Koumis noted, among other things, that "the fundamental objectives of the National Strategy 2035 are defined as the further upgrading of the quality of the tourism product and the continuation of tourism development with respect to the principles of sustainable development, the transformation of the country into a digitally smart destination, the reduction of seasonality and the gradual evolution of the country into a year-round destination.
One of the most important points of yesterday's statements by Mr. Koumis was:
(a) The goal is to reach 5 million visitors by the year 2035, but to be distributed differently compared to what is currently the case.
(b) The countries that have remained without a direct air connection and are considered notable in the field of tourism are now the USA, China and India. Actions are being taken for all three of these markets.
(c) It is very important for the participants in the tourism ecosystem to move towards the digital transition by introducing new technologies.
No big increases in the summer
The National Tourism Strategy 2035, with a publication date of February 2026, records several interesting data in relation to the targets of those responsible for the next 9 years.
Among them, the target of 5 million tourists by 2035 is highlighted.
Indicatively, it is noted that it is considered feasible to increase the arrivals of travellers from 4.04 million in 2024 to 5 million in 2035, with the largest increase coming from traveller arrivals in the period January – April and November – December (from 1.06 million in 2024 to 1.80 million in 2035) and a smaller increase during the summer period May – October (from 2.98 million in 2024 to 3.20 million in 2035).
At the same time, it is estimated that there may be an increase in the total number of overnight stays of foreign travellers for 2035 to 46.8 million from 34.8 million in 2024, with 38.5% of them (18 million) being overnight stays during the winter season, up from 23.9% in 2024.
The 2035 Strategy considers that the country can also aim to increase the daily expenditure of travellers from €80 in the winter season of 2024 to €85 (at fixed 2024 prices) in the corresponding period of 2035 and from €96 per day in the summer season of 2024 to €106 in the corresponding period of 2035, always at 2024 prices. If the above goals are achieved, then in 2035 tourism revenues will amount to €4.58 billion (at 2024 prices) compared to €3.21 billion in 2024.
Targeting tourism market segments
Through the study and analysis of international trends in the existing and potential markets-sources of tourist flow, and taking into account the potential of the tourism product of Cyprus to meet the needs of these travellers, the targeted segments of the tourism market have been selected.
"Over 50s / Silver tourism": This is an ever-growing segment of the tourism market, especially in view of the aging of the world's population. These visitors spend more than younger people and tend to travel more often, since they have fewer family obligations and increased free time.
"Sun and Sea / Families with children": Family holidays are expected to grow at a faster rate than any other form of holiday. They currently account, as a tourism market segment, for around 30 % of all tourism flows worldwide.
"Destination hoppers": Multi-destination vacations are chosen by people with more time on their hands, a more active lifestyle and a higher income. Recognizing the trend of the time, Cyprus is in the process of creating and promoting joint tourist packages with neighbouring countries, targeting mainly distant markets.
"Domestic tourism": Domestic tourism allows the visitor to escape from everyday life, without being subjected to the hassle of flights. It is considered necessary to create additional tourist accommodation in the countryside / mountainous areas. The contribution of domestic tourism is great, since there is a high expenditure of Cypriots compared to that of foreign visitors.
"Long stayers": Long-term visitors stay in a country mainly to avoid bad weather in their country. The mild climate is the biggest advantage of Cyprus. The hospitality of the locals and the good food are also factors that are taken into account by this tourism market segment. A prerequisite for the development of this tourism market segment is the year-round operation of tourist accommodation.
"Working from anywhere / Bleisure": Even before the coronavirus pandemic, large companies began to embrace the trend of teleworking, which meant reducing their operating costs. The above trend, combined with the need of citizens for a change of scenery, has created a new segment of the tourism market, that of "bleisure". It's about combining vacations and work. Staying in a "bleisure" destination can take anywhere from a week to months. Cyprus meets all the criteria and already many executives of international and local organizations and companies choose the island as one of the best "bleisure" destinations in Europe.
Prioritization of tourism markets
Tourism markets are divided into four categories:
Category A: Stable tourism markets: In this category, the largest source markets for Cyprus until then, i.e. the United Kingdom and Russia, were classified in this category. Following a reassessment, only the United Kingdom is now classified in this category, as arrivals from this market remain stable over time, in the order of 30 %. Any attempt to further develop markets in this category takes into account the risk of overdependence.
Category B: Stable growth trajectory: The following source markets fall into this category: Poland, Germany, Israel, France and the Nordic countries (Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland). These markets are on a steady growth path, as they are favoured by the enhancement of connectivity, the improvement of living standards, the increasing planning of the Organizers and other factors.
Category C: Significant growth prospects: This category includes the markets: Benelux (Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg), Romania, Switzerland, Austria, Hungary, Greece, Serbia, Czech Republic and Bulgaria. In these markets, Cyprus is recognizable and its image is quite positive, tour operators keep it in their schedules, and connectivity, due to proximity and/or country size, can be improved.
Category D: Facilities, under conditions: This category includes: Ireland, Egypt, Lebanon, UAE, Lithuania, Slovakia, Belarus, Iran, China, Malta, Jordan, Italy, Latvia, Spain, Portugal, USA, Australia, South Africa, Canada, China and Korea. These markets have growth prospects, due to the size of the tourism market, recognition, proximity, etc. This growth, however, can only be achieved under specific conditions, different in each case.
