PASYXE Assembly | Ambitious goals with a decade-long horizon for Cypriot tourism

With a strong participation of representatives of the State and the tourism sector, the Annual General Assembly of the Pancyprian Hoteliers Association (PASYXE) was held on Tuesday, July 1, 2025, at the Hilton Hotel in Nicosia. The key figures of the event were the President of the Republic, Mr. Nikos Christodoulides, the President of PASYXE, Mr. Thanos Michaelides, and the Deputy Minister for European Affairs, Ms. Marilena Raouna, while ministers, ambassadors, members of parliament, mayors, representatives of the business world and tourism bodies were present.

The Assembly was opened and coordinated by the General Director of PASYXE, Dr. Christos Angelides, underlining the importance of the active presence of the State in the process of shaping tourism policy.

Tourism is on a steady upward trajectory

In his speech, the President of PASYXE, Mr. Thanos Michaelides, presented the course of Cypriot tourism, characterizing 2024 as a particularly successful year, with arrivals exceeding 4 million and an increase of 5.1% compared to 2023. Revenues from tourism amounted to €3.2 billion, confirming the role of the sector as a key axis of the economy.

However, he did not fail to highlight the challenges of the geopolitical environment, which is characterized by instability and uncertainty, calling for continuous adaptation and immediate response from the tourism mechanism. He pointed out the need to strengthen air connectivity with European markets, with particular reference to Germany, and underlined that tourism must evolve into a year-round activity, unhinged from seasonality.

“The time has come to set ambitious goals with a ten-year horizon, based on a strategic model that goes beyond annual valuations,” he stated characteristically, noting that Cyprus can become a strong competitor to leading tourist destinations, with vision, strategy and cooperation of all stakeholders.

Support from the State and highlighting the geostrategic role

For his part, the President of the Republic, Mr. Nikos Christodoulides, in his greeting, recognized tourism as a key pillar of economic development and highlighted the need to align all stakeholders to address the multidimensional challenges. He stressed that the Cypriot hotel infrastructure has played a crucial role in addressing humanitarian crises in the Middle East region, safely hosting Europeans and other citizens until their repatriation.

The upcoming EU Presidency is an opportunity for visibility

Deputy Minister for European Affairs, Ms. Marilena Rauna, referred to the multiple opportunities arising from the upcoming assumption of the Presidency of the Council of the EU by Cyprus in the first half of 2026. As she stated, this event will bring over 20,000 officials and journalists to the island, with the organization of over 250 meetings in all the provinces of the country. She emphasized that conference venues and hotels will be utilized, upgrading Cyprus’s position on the conference tourism map.

At the same time, she recognized the significant contribution of PASYXE in the planning and preparation of the Presidency, while she described the organization of the 91st HOTREC General Assembly on 15–17 October 2025 as a top event for Cyprus.