Major tour operators are expected to expand their winter programmes to Cyprus to a “satisfactory degree”, Deputy Tourism Minister Kostas Koumis told CNA on Thursday following the conclusion of this year’s World Travel Market (WTM) in London.
Celebrating its 45th anniversary, this year’s exhibition attracted more than 40,000 tourism professionals from over 180 countries, reaffirming London’s position as a leading global hub for the travel industry.
Koumis held numerous meetings with senior executives and decision-makers from across the global tourism sector - many of them strategic partners of Cyprus.
Upward trend
“The feedback was entirely positive,” the Deputy Minister said. “Visitor numbers reached record levels, and we are confident this performance will continue into 2026. What is even more important now is to increase arrivals during the winter months. In summer, we are already close to our full potential.”
According to official figures, tourist arrivals from the UK market between January and September 2025 rose by 5.2% compared with 2024, 10.4% compared with 2023, and 19.2% compared with 2022 - confirming the steady upward trend.
Koumis said that during meetings with Cyprus’s strategic partners, the focus was on further developing winter tourism for 2026.
“The feedback in this area was equally optimistic,” he noted, “as major tour operators are planning to expand their winter schedules for Cyprus.”
This year’s WTM hosted more than 70 sessions and panel discussions, featuring leaders from the international tourism industry, major airlines and hotel groups, as well as experts in artificial intelligence, sustainable infrastructure and future investment models.
Post-pandemic travel
Koumis participated in several sessions, including one entitled “Re-examining Investment Models in Tourism: Creating Next-Generation Incentives”, and held bilateral meetings with counterparts such as Serbia’s Tourism Minister, Husein Memić.
Key topics dominating the discussions included the green transition, technological innovation, and the need for the industry to adapt to new post-pandemic travel habits.
According to organisers, this year’s WTM was the largest in the event’s history, following a 25% expansion of London’s ExCeL exhibition centre, which enabled hundreds of new exhibitors and companies to participate.
CNA