Cyprus tourism budget cut by nearly €15m for 2027

Cyprus’ Deputy Ministry of Tourism is set to see its budget fall by nearly €15 million in 2027, mainly as spending linked to the island’s 2026 EU Council presidency comes to an end. According to the government’s Strategic Fiscal Policy Framework 2027–2029, expenditure for the deputy ministry is projected at €59.45m, down from €74.24m in 2026. The reduction amounts to around €14.8m, or almost 20 per cent year on year. A large part of the decline comes from operating expenditure associated with Cyprus’ presidency of the Council of the European Union. Spending under other operating expenses is expected to fall to around €630,200, compared with €6.43m in 2026, when additional funds were required for presidency-related needs. Despite the overall cut, tourism promotion remains one of the deputy ministry’s largest areas of expenditure. Funding for tourism promotion campaigns is set at €26.9m, slightly below the €27.7m budgeted for 2026. The allocation will cover cooperation with tourism partners abroad, including airlines, alongside advertising campaigns in priority markets identified in the deputy ministry’s operational plan. It will also support campaigns through online travel agencies, digital platforms, outdoor advertising and print media, as well as the production of promotional material. Further spending will go towards promoting Cyprus through the deputy ministry’s overseas offices, public relations activities and events aimed at the tourism industry and the wider public. Specialist tourism products will also be promoted, including conference, wedding, golf, religious, rural and diving tourism, together with joint advertising campaigns involving tour operators and other industry partners. Part of the funding will be used for cooperation with an international public relations firm covering Cyprus’ main tourism markets, including media monitoring and closer engagement with foreign journalists. The deputy ministry also plans to work with international media organisations to strengthen Cyprus’ visibility abroad through targeted promotional campaigns. Funding is additionally provided for the production and adaptation of promotional material, copywriting and search engine optimisation, aimed at improving the visibility of the deputy ministry’s digital platforms. The budget also includes spending on the Heartland of Legends programme, covering promotional videos, photography, banners, posters, website content, social media promotion and other advertising activity. Further funding is earmarked for the revamp of the Aphrodite Cultural Route, created in 2004, to incorporate more recent archaeological findings. The route’s information material is to be revised and expanded, while content currently available in Greek and English will also be translated into Italian, French, German and Polish. The programme also provides for audio guides, training for licensed tour guides and a new promotional video for use across social media. Additional funding will support campaigns linked to employment in the tourism industry, awards for businesses and professionals, promotional partnerships with organisations connected to the tourism sector and guided tours requested by public authorities, schools, universities, travel agencies, professional bodies, airlines and foreign embassies. Money is also being set aside for the development and promotion of the Christmas Villages programme, including the production of promotional video material. Meanwhile, expenditure for participation in tourism exhibitions is budgeted at €3.85m, compared with €3.6m in 2026. A further €6.2m has been allocated for grants, including €4.5m for various incentive and support schemes and €1.7m for tourism promotion schemes. The 2027 spending level nevertheless remains above the €51.38m recorded for the deputy ministry in 2025. Under the government’s medium-term fiscal framework, expenditure is then expected to remain broadly stable, at around €59.48m in both 2028 and 2029, following the higher spending requirements associated with the 2026 EU presidency.