Economy

Cyprus’ investment funds sector set to grow in 2024, association reports

The Cyprus Investment Funds Association (CIFA) this week released a statement expressing an optimistic outlook for 2024, anticipating another favourable year for the investment funds sector in Cyprus, despite any challenges and prevailing uncertainties. According to the association, Cypriot investment funds were required to exhibit resilience and bolster the growth dynamic of the Cypriot economy in 2023, a goal they managed to achieve.   Continue reading at Read More

How much tourists spend a day in Cyprus

Tourists from Israel appear to be the biggest spenders according to a recent Passenger Survey carried out by the Statistical Service. According to the Survey, while tourists from the United Kingdom (the largest tourist market with 27.2% of the total tourists in February 2023) spent on average €62.35 per day, tourists from Israel (the second largest market during the specific month with 12.8% of the total tourists) spent on average €103.51. Tourists from Greece (the third Read More

Paphos to have best flight schedule in 30 years — optimistic about tourism

Paphos is set to experience its best flight schedule in 30 years, according to Nasos Hadjigeorgiou, the head of the Paphos Regional Board of Tourism (Etap). In statements made to the Cyprus News Agency (CNA), Hadjigeorgiou noted that from June onwards, more than 250 incoming flights per week are expected at Paphos airport. He added that international markets have significantly expanded with increasing numbers of individual visitors year by year.       Continue reading at source:  Cyprus Read More

President reveals that significant new investments are on the way

New major investments that will be announced over the coming period, the President of the Republic Nikos Christodoulides has announced, addressing the 13th Nicosia Economic Congress. "We are already in consultations and within 2023 we will see significant investments in our country," he said, emphasising the benefits that the country enjoys through its excellent international relations. He also called for a collective effort to implement the Recovery Plan, for an avoidance of actions being derailed by election cycles and also Read More

Herodotou: Bank system stable with strong cash flow

Central Bank of Cyprus (CBC) Governor Constantinos Herodotou told a panel discussion that Cyprus’ banking system was now stable with one of the highest liquidity levels in the EU, and was not under any particular threat. He was analysing the main challenges faced by Eurozone monetary policymakers during a discussion at the 8th Delphi Economic Forum, which was also joined by Luis de Guindos, Vice-President of the European Central Bank (ECB) Responding to a question, Herodotou said the local banking Read More

L' Étape Cyprus by Tour de France: A boost to Cyprus’ tourism product

More than 500 athletes and their support staff are expected to arrive in Cyprus from abroad in November to participate in the highly anticipated L’ Étape Cyprus by Tour de France. The Cypriot edition of the L' Étape by Tour de France series – held under the strict and demanding framework of the greatest cycling event on the planet – will take place on Sunday, 12 November 2023, with the participation of semi-professional and amateur cyclists. Going by the entries so Read More

Increase in tourist flows in free Famagusta and Larnaca areas

The tourist season in the free Famagusta and Larnaca areas has started on a positive note, with tourist flows being significantly increased compared to last year and estimates for the summer months being promising. The increase in flows compared to April 2022, is estimated at 15-20%, the hoteliers’ president Doros Takkas told Phileleftheros, noting that a significant boost for the region was the Catholic Easter.   Continue reading at source:  Read More

Cyprus tourism exhibition revamped to boost regional appeal

The Cyprus tourism exhibition is aiming to become an important regional exhibition for both Europe and neighbouring countries, with the exhibition undergoing a revamp in order to achieve this. According to an announcement released this week, the event is scheduled to take place from April 21-23 and has been redesigned in such a way as to attract not only exhibitors from Greece and Cyprus but also from other countries in Europe.   Previously known as Taxidi, which means journey or Read More

Revenue from tourism at €45.6 million in January 2023

Revenue from tourism amounted to €45.6 million in January 2023, significantly surpassing the revenue from tourism in January last year, as well as in January 2019, a record year for Cypriot tourism. On the basis of the results of the Passenger Survey carried out by the Statistical Service (Cystat), revenue from tourism reached €45.6 mn in January 2023 compared to €28.2 mn in the corresponding month of the previous year, recording an increase of 61.7% Compared Read More

Central Bank says banking system in Cyprus is robust

The banking system in Cyprus is resilient and will continue to support the real economy, the Central Bank assured President Nicos Christodoulides on Monday. Christodoulides and Central Bank chief Constantinos Herodotou were holding their first official meeting since the new government took office. According to a statement, the two discussed ongoing developments, in particular the situation with Credit Suisse. Both men said they were “satisfied” with how Swiss authorities have handled the matter. During the meeting, Herodotou conveyed to the Read More

Our aim is to further develop Cyprus shipping, Deputy Minister Hadjimanolis says

The Deputy Ministry of Shipping and the Cyprus Shipping Chamber have reaffirmed during the first meeting held between the new Deputy Minister of Shipping Marina Hadjimanolis with members of the Chamber, that they will fully cooperate in the efforts to further develop the Cypriot shipping industry. In her statements after the meeting that was held on Monday, 13 March in the Chamber's headquarters, the Deputy Minister said that she assured the Chamber's Board of Directors that the Deputy Ministry will Read More

Fitch upgrades Cyprus’ long-term credit rating

Fitch Ratings has upgraded Cyprus’ long-term credit rating by one notch to ‘BBB’ with a stable outlook, citing outperformance of fiscal balance and growth rate. According to the international rating agency, this was because the Cyprus economy showed resilience from the external shock caused by the war in Ukraine. Referring to the recent election of a new Cypriot government, the agency said “we do not expect a substantial change in the broad direction of economic policy under the new administration”. Read More

Russians, British and Israelis top list of foreign property buyers in Cyprus

Russian nationals were the largest group of foreign real estate buyers in Cyprus during the first two months of 2023, according to data from the Department of Lands and Surveys. The data were presented by the Department’s director, Elikkos Elia said during the opening of the 5th Property Show, on Friday in Nicosia. Buyers from the UK, Israel, Greece, Lebanon, Germany followed, Elia said.   Continue reading at source:  Read More

Cyprus: The new Global Tech and Innovation Hub Summit

Cyprus’ appeal as a leading international headquartering location is gaining momentum. During the past few years, hundreds of technology companies have relocated to Cyprus. Several internationally successful organizations, including Investment Firms, FinTech, RegTech, Entertainment and Media Tech (Gaming Industry) firms, have already either relocated or expanded in Cyprus using the country as a base and gateway to and from the EU. These companies employ tens of thousands of people on the island and over 400,000 worldwide. The technology sector in Read More

Koumis: Hopes for over 200,000 tourists from Germany this year

Prospects from the German market are particularly encouraging, new Tourism Deputy Minister Costas Koumis has told CNA, noting that on the basis of estimates, arrivals from Germany to Cyprus this year are expected to be over 200,000 for the first time in 26 years. Koumis was speaking to CNA on Tuesday from Berlin where he has paid his first visit after assuming his duties, as head of a delegation for the ITB fair, considered to be one of the largest Read More

Larnaca-Piraeus ferry link to offer a further boost to local travel industry

The rapidly growing town of Larnaca’s decision to become involved in the island’s ferry service to Greece was a strategic one. The Larnaca-Piraeus / Limassol-Piraeus combination this summer is expected to give further impetus to the line, which has been described as one of the Deputy Shipping Ministry’s biggest success stories of 2022. Speaking to InBusinessNews, the General Manager of Kition Ocean Port, Paris Dimitriou, said: “We are preparing the entire infrastructure to host the new service. It is something Read More

Cyprus can become a global tourism and entertainment destination

Melco Cyprus is fully aware of the role it can play in helping to develop the island’s tourism industry and will ensure that the country becomes a global entertainment and business destination, senior vice president of casino sales and marketing Grant Johnson said in a recent event. The event commemorated the five-year anniversary of the first licensed casino in Cyprus. It also sought to honour the company’s staff members, with the first 57 employees to join the company receiving commemorative Read More

New €4.7m scheme to upgrade tourism units in rural and mountain areas

The deputy ministry of tourism on Wednesday announced the launch of a scheme aimed at upgrading hotels and accommodation for tourists in Cyprus’ rural and mountain areas. The scheme is part of the Cyprus Recovery and Resilience Plan and is funded by the EU, which will finance reforms and investments in member states until December 31, 2026. “The goal of the scheme is to support investments in hotels, accommodation and businesses in mountainous, rural and remote areas that will enrich, Read More

Cyprus economy has performed ‘remarkably’ says IMF official

The Cypriot economy has achieved remarkable performance in recent years amid a period of sustained instability, a senior official with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said on Tuesday. The comments were attributed to IMF Executive Director Paul Hilbers, visiting the island for the first time.   During his stay here, Hilbers met outgoing Finance Minister Constantinos Petrides, who relayed the IMF official’s remarks.       Continue reading at source:  Cyprus Read More

Paphos chamber of commerce pleased with economic performance in 2022

Paphos’ economy performed well during 2022, both in terms of its tourism sector and real estate and market, according to Paphos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Evep) secretary and director Marinos Stylianou. “2022 was a very good year for the city’s economy despite the adverse conditions that preceded it and which continue to affect us negatively to this day,” Stylianou told the Cyprus News Agency (CNA). “In 2022, Paphos had very good occupancy rates in its hotels, mainly due to Read More

Cyprus tourism revenue nears pre-pandemic levels

Cyprus’ tourism revenues for the period between January and November 2022 are estimated to have amounted to €2.3 billion, coming close to pre-pandemic levels, according to a report released this week by the Cyprus Statistical Service (Cystat). This reflects a significant improvement over the corresponding figure from 2021 when tourism revenues amounted to €1.45 billion, as well as the pandemic-plagued 2020, with severe travel restrictions resulting in a paltry figure of €382.9 million being generated from tourism. Read More

Revenue From Tourism Estimated At €2.4 Billion For January-November 2022

Revenue from tourism is estimated at €2,381.6 mn for the period of January – November 2022, compared to €1,459.6 mn in the corresponding period of 2021 and to €382.9 mn during the same period of 2020, according to the results of the Passenger Survey carried out by the Statistical Service, published on Tuesday. In the corresponding period of 2019, which is considered a record year, revenue had reached €2,628.4 million.   Continue reading at source:  Gold Read More

Anastasiades: Operation Of Vasiliko Energy Center Paves The Way For Full Growth Of Degraded Area In Larnaka

Today marks a historic milestone for Larnaka region, President Nicos Anastasiades said on Sunday, during the inauguration of the gas terminal of the VLPG consortium in Vasiliko area. He said that the operation of the gas terminal, marks the completion of the process of moving the oil, gas and asphalt facilities from the Larnaca waterfront to the Vasiliko Energy Center, noting that in addition to the numerous benefits for the local economy, the Energy Center paves the way to full Read More

Cyprus Foreign Trade Significantly Increases In The First Ten Months Of 2022

Cyprus' foreign trade registered a significant increase in the first ten months of 2022, according to data released on Monday by the Statistical Service of Cyprus. The trade deficit also increased due to the great increase in imports. In particular, according to the official data, total imports of goods in January-October 2022 amounted to €9,394.7 mn as compared to €6,991.0 mn in January-October 2021, recording an increase of 34.4%. Total exports of goods in January-October 2022 were €3,241. Read More

Development projects to bring economic growth to Polis and Peyia

President Nicos Anastasiades inaugurated several multi-million-euro projects in the Polis Chrysochous and Peyia areas on Friday, saying the developments increase prospects for greater economic, cultural and communal development. “The construction of the new Paphos – Polis Chrysochous highway falls in this exact context, despite any obstacles that some wanted to raise,” he said. He added that project had been pending for decades.       Continue reading at source:  Cyprus Read More

Qatar Airways To Transport 80,000 Passengers To Cyprus Airports In 2023, Hermes Airports CEO Says [VIDEO]

Τhe presence of Qatar Airways in Cyprus is “very important”, as it connects the island with countries in Asia and the East, while in 2023 it is expected to transport to and from Cypriot airports around 80,000 passengers, Eleni Kaloyirou, Chief Executive Officer of Hermes Airports, said on Wednesday during an event at Larnaka Airport to celebrate the airline’s 25th anniversary. In statements, Kaloyirou said that “today we are celebrating”, in addition to the 25th anniversary of the airline, its Read More

Cyprus welcomed more than 3 million tourists in 2022

Tourist arrivals to Cyprus reached 3,201,080 people in 2022, compared to 1,936,931 in 2021, according to a report released on Tuesday by the Cyprus Statistical Service (Cystat). Despite the uptick over the year before, tourist arrivals still lagged behind those recorded in 2019, a year unhindered by the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and the more recent adverse economic conditions, when they had amounted to 3,976,777 visitors. Furthermore, according to the report, tourist arrivals amounted to 110,041 people in December Read More

Perdios: Systematic Work Is Being Carried Out For The Promotion Of The Tourism Product

In a difficult period, the Deputy Ministry of Tourism is intensifying its efforts to promote the tourism product, through the National Strategy’s medium-term action plan 2023-2025, Deputy Minister Savvas Perdios said on Tuesday, expressing satisfaction with the revenues recorded from tourism for 2022. In his address at the annual General Assembly of the Cyprus Hotel Managers Association (CYHMA), held in Limassol, Perdios said that according to official statistics, revenues have reached almost 90% compared to 2019, noting it was an Read More

Increase in Renewables Share in Cyprus Faster than EU Average, Official Says

The share of renewable energy in Cyprus between 2015 and 2021 has increased at a faster pace compared with the EU average, Marios Panagides, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Energy has said. Speaking at the 13th assembly of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) held in Abu Dhabi on 13-15 January, Panagides said that the latest data show the shares of renewables in Cyprus rose by 5.2% from 2015 to 2021 compared with the EU average of 3. Read More

Real Estate Worth €6 Billion Sold In 2022, Says Cyprus' Real Estate Registration Council

The value of real estate sold during 2022 is approaching €6 billion, according to the comparative real estate sales of the Department of Lands and Surveys as processed and presented in the quarterly "Real Estate Market Bulletin" of Cyprus Real Estate Registration Council. As stated in a press release of the Council, "against the challenges the real estate sector showed resilience and dynamism, which is reflected in the clearest way in the comparative sales of real estate by the Department Read More

Larnaca projects to boost recovery and future prospects

‘Larnaca’s character must be preserved at all costs’ President of the Larnaca Chamber of Commerce (Evel) Stavros Stavrou on Tuesday expressed optimism that the various innovative actions, combined with the development and infrastructure projects that are already underway, will boost Larnaca’s prospects by improving it in a qualitative manner. “Despite the shocks caused by the coronavirus pandemic, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, price increase and soaring inflation, the city and district of Larnaca are on a dynamic path of recovery,” Stavrou Read More

Construction Works For LNG Import Jetty To Begin Next Week

Works for the construction of a jetty for the import of Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) for electricity generation in Cyprus will begin on next week, the Cypriot authorities said on Tuesday. The €315-million project, promoted by the state-owned Natural Gas Infrastructure Company (ETYFA) is considered as the largest energy project in Cyprus in the last years, and is expected to be completed by July 2023. The Cyprus Joint Rescue Coordination Centre has issued a navigational telex (Navtex) notifying mariners that Read More

Government Announces Grant Schemes Worth Over €48 Million For Q1 2023

Cyprus will launch projects involving grants and subsidies worth over €48 million for both households and businesses in Q1 2023 via the “Cyprus Tomorrow plan,” Government Spokesperson Marios Pelekanos said on Wednesday. Pelekanos said “Cyprus tomorrow” constitutes the legacy of the outgoing government incorporating the National Recovery and Resilience Plan amounting to €1.2 billion and the "THALIA” programme amounting to €1.8 billion which reflects the development strategy of the utilization of the resources allocated to Cyprus through the Read More

Tourists from Switzerland, USA, Norway and Austria spent the most

Tourists from Switzerland, USA, Norway and Austria spent the most per capita during their holidays in Cyprus in October, with an average expenditure of more than €1,000, according to data published by the Statistical Service on Friday. In October 2022 revenue from tourism reached €319.8 million, an increase of 6.8% compared to October 2019, which was a record year for the sector, although arrivals were down by 8.2%.   Continue reading at source:  Read More

Cyprus property market holding up despite economic sentiment

Association of Real Estate Agents and Entrepreneurs of Cyprus (Skek) president Andreas Kaouris on Thursday said that despite the challenges, combined with the decline in global real estate prices, Cyprus’ property market is holding up, with sales continuing their upward trend. According to data that Kaouris’ provided during the association’s annual general meeting, real estate sales in the first ten months amounted to 10,781 in total, up 7,914 last year in the corresponding period of time, while the first ten Read More

Technology Sector Contributes €3 Billion To The Economy In 2022

It is estimated that the contribution of the telecommunications and technology (ICT) sector will approach €3 billion in 2022, strengthening the diversification and resilience of the Cypriot economy. At the same time, based on the latest data for 2022, more than 1,200 foreign companies were served through the Ministry of Commerce’s Business Facilitation Unit of the, while a total of 9,800 jobs were distributed to specialized personnel, something that strengthened both investments and domestic consumption and consequently the Cypriot GDP. Read More

Karousos: Second Phase Budget for Electric Vehicles at €10 million

The Minister of Transport, Communications and Works Yiannis Karousos announced today that the budget for subsidies aimed at the purchase of electric vehicles and the scrapping of old cars, motorcycles, mopeds and bicycles will stand at €10 million for 2,518 grants. The budget is part of the second phase of the incentive scheme to convince motorists to turn electric, one of the key tenets of the Cyprus recovery and resilience plan - the EU will disburse a total of €1. Read More

Cyprus Airways Records 406% Increase In Flights In November And Improvement Over Pre-Pandemic Results

Cyprus Airways has announced that a 406% increase was recorded in flights during last November, compared to the corresponding month in 2021. The announcement also mentions an improvement in traffic over pre-pandemic results, as well as positive trends for the upcoming summer season. In particular, as announced on Monday, the airline operated a total of 239 flights (406% increase over Nov ’21) and carried a total of 29,820 passengers (1260% increase over November 2021), registering a load factor of 74%, Read More

Passengers Travelling By Air To And From Cyprus Up Annually By 105% In 2021 – Eurostat

Cyprus was the country with the second-largest rise in the number of air travel passengers (105%) in 2021 compared to 2020. In 2021, the total number of passengers travelling by air in the EU was 373 million, a substantial increase of 35% compared with 2020, after a sharp decline of 73% (compared with 2019) due to pandemic restrictions, according to Eurostat, the statistical service of the EU. Cyprus was the country with the second-largest rise in the number of air Read More

Seasonal travel demand stronger than expected

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) this week said that the recovery in international air travel continued in October, with total traffic during that time rising by 44.6 per cent compared to October of the previous year. In addition, global air traffic, measured by taking into account the revenue generated from each passenger kilometre travelled, currently stands at 74.2 per cent of the total traffic recorded during October of 2019, the last year before the adverse effects of Read More

Cyprus And Australia To Start Negotiations On Double Tax Treaty

The Cyprus Finance Ministry has expressed satisfaction with the positive reaction of Australian authorities to initiate bilateral negotiations for the conclusion of the Convention for the Elimination of Double Taxation for Taxes on Income and the Prevention of Tax Evasion and Avoidance. The intention of the Australian authorities, which was announced on November 16, 2022, by Dr. Andrew Leigh, Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities and Treasury, is the result of the longstanding efforts on the part of Cyprus authorities to Read More

Admirably enough, Cyprus GDP grows 5.4% in third quarter of 2022

Admirably enough, the economy of Cyprus expanded 5.4 percent year-on-year in the third quarter of 2022, following an upwardly revised 6.3 percent rise in the previous period, according to Eurostat. And on a quarterly basis, GDP advanced 1.3 percent compared to a downwardly revised 0.3 percent growth in the previous period.   Continue reading at source:  Read More

Air Traffic To Exceed 9 Million Passengers In 2022 Hermes Chief Says

Air traffic in Cyprus will exceed 9 million passengers this year, despite the disruption in travel due to the war in Ukraine and the ensuing sanctions impost by the west against Russia, Eleni Kalogirou, Chief Executive Officer Hermes Airports, the operator of Cyprus’ two international airports, has said. “We have been in a growth trajectory since the beginning of the year, despite the disruption which emerged such as the invasion of Ukraine and the ensuring sanctions imposed (on Russia) by Read More

2023 UK tourism to Cyprus indications are all positive despite inflation

All indications are that tourism from the United Kingdom next year will be good despite the prevailing rising inflation and looming recession, according to Deputy Tourism Minister Savvas Perdios. “Indications are that the tourist flow from our main market will not be particularly affected negatively next year,” Perdios who is visiting London said on Tuesday. “2023 is definitely expected to be an equally difficult year for tourism because of the geopolitical instability and rising inflation. However, I have to say Read More

Tourism Deputy Minister Announces Plans To Break Through The US Market

Tourism Deputy Minister Savvas Perdios has revealed plans for “opening up” the US tourism market, with a visit to New York and Washington DC penned in for January. Speaking to the Cyprus News Agency while attending the World Travel Market (WTM) in London’s Excel on Tuesday morning, Perdios noted that 2022 has been “a very good year” concerning arrivals to Cyprus from the United Kingdom, which is its main tourism pool. According to the Minister, Cyprus received about 90% of Read More

Cyprus Joins Forces With Jordan To Attract International Visitors All Year Round

A collaboration between Cyprus and Jordan on tourism was revealed on Monday night by the two countries’ ministers during a social event at London’s City Hall at the end of the first day of the World Travel Market. Cypriot Minister for Tourism Savvas Perdios and his Jordanian counterpart Nayef al-Fayez spoke of their shared goal to attract more international visitors to the region. Perdios explained that the common elements of the two countries and the sufficient air connectivity between them Read More

Eyes On The Gulf Countries

As part of the implementation of its strategy to promote Cyprus in the wider region of the Middle East and the Gulf countries, the Cyprus Investment Promotion Agency (Invest Cyprus) conducts targeted on-site promotional actions in important markets of the region. A delegation of Invest Cyprus, consisting of George Campanellas and Sarris Demetriou, visited Kuwait where they had the opportunity to hold tête-à-têtes meetings with private investors and government agencies of the country. Specifically, during the meeting with the Managing Read More

Ferry service will be improved after successful season

Close to 7,500 passengers travelled the Greece-Cyprus ferry link this past summer, surpassing the government’s expectations, as authorities vowed the service will be further improved for the coming season – along with the possibility of further routes. “I must say that these numbers surpassed even our expectations, so this is a cause for celebration,” deputy shipping minister Vasilis Demetriades said on Thursday.   He also said that a route to Israel is being evaluated as the link there looks promising, Read More

Cyprus business community displaying great resilience says minister

Minister of Energy, Commerce and Industry Natasa Pilides this week said that Cyprus’ business community continues to carry on unabated, displaying great resilience, despite the numerous exogenous challenges it faces. Pilides’ comments were delivered during her address at an event held to commemorate the sixtieth anniversary of the Limassol Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Evel), where the minister praised the importance of Cypriot businesses, while also stressing that the future lies in the green transition.       Continue reading Read More

Tourism Arrivals Getting Close to Pre-Pandemic Levels

In 2022, Cyprus tourism reached 80% of tourist arrivals in 2019, with arrivals from the EU increasing by 22%, while the budget of the Deputy Ministry of Tourism is fully absorbed, said Deputy Minister Savvas Perdios. Speaking before a parliamentary committee on financial and budgetary affairs, Perdios underlined that the EU tourism market is "the most stable framework for the development of our tourism" over the next three years. He also emphasised that the country's tourism identity has changed, while Read More

Commission issues preliminary assessment of Cyprus' request for €85 million disbursement under the RRF

The European Commission on Tuesday endorsed a positive preliminary assessment of Cyprus' payment request for €85 million in grants under the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF), while Cyprus lost €90 million in grants due to better-than-expected economic performance during the Covid-19 pandemic. President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen said, “I have good news for Cyprus.” “Sufficient progress has been made in the rollout of its recovery and resilience plan to receive the first payment under NextGenerationEU. Read More

€165 million incentive plan for airlines

The cabinet on Wednesday approved the €165 million incentive plan for airlines for the period 2023-2027 to bring in up to 13.7 million visitors, which had been proposed jointly by the ministries of transport and finance. The plan is worth €165.6 million and will be co-financed by the transport ministry and airport operator Hermes Airports Ltd. The implementation of incentive plans between 2012 and 2022 was a necessary tool in the efforts to develop Cyprus’ air connectivity and Read More

The Integrated Port - Marina Development In Larnaca The Biggest Investment Made In Cyprus, Karousos Said

The 1.2-billion-euro integrated port-marina development project in Larnaca is the largest development ever undertaken in Cyprus, Transport, Communications and Works Minister Yiannis Karousos said, expressing satisfaction that the investor is proceeding with the implementation of the contract. Addressing a ceremony on Tuesday evening, during which the Larnaca Marina opened its gates to the public, Karousos referred to an "integrated tourism experience" and said that in order to achieve this, benchmarks, infrastructure and experiences must be created.   Continue reading Read More

Investment Funds Put €393.9m In Cyprus’ Energy Sector In Q2 2022

The value of Total Assets under Management (AUM) reached €10.6bn in the 2nd quarter of 2022, recording a decrease of 4.1% compared to the 1st quarter of 2022, according to the latest Quarterly Statistics bulletin published by the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC). The statistical bulletin can be found on CySEC’s website and presents the most important data on the Collective Investments sector in Cyprus. Based on the data of the 2nd quarter of 2022, CySEC supervises Read More

Keep them coming: tourism industry hopes for good winter

Could Cyprus become a destination for those wishing to save money by spending the winter months away from home in a warmer place? With revenue and arrivals up throughout 2022 compared to the difficult past two years marred by the Covid-19 pandemic, tourism in Cyprus seems to finally have turned a page. Revenue from tourism was up 141 per cent between January and July 2022 compared to last year, totalling €1.217 billion, according to the statistical service.     Read More

Anastasiades: By The End Of 2027 Cyprus Will Have An Excess Of Renewable Energy That Could Be Exported Or Exchanged

Ιt is estimated that by the end of 2027 Cyprus will have an excess of renewable energy that could be exported or exchanged, in addition to the quantities that could be available from Egypt, Israel, and Greece, President of the Republic, Nicos Anastasiades, said on Friday morning, in his address at the EMGF Energy Transition Conference hosted in Nicosia. Anastasiades noted that Cyprus can become a net exporter of electricity at capacities that could range from 120 Gigawatt hours in Read More

EuroAsia Interconnector Works To Launch Friday

Cyprus’ energy isolation comes to an end on Friday, 14 October, with the launch of the construction works for the EuroAsia Interconnector. A ceremony will take place Friday evening to mark the occasion in the presence of President of the Republic of Cyprus Nicos Anastasiades and European Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson. Director of the President’s Press Office, Andreas Iosif said in a press release, with the start of the construction work for the EuroAsia Interconnector, the road to Cyprus Read More

Cyprus Airways registers strong September 2022 performance

Cyprus Airways announced that the average seat load for September 2022 stood just below 80%, noting at the same time that it operated 153% more flights compared to September 2021, while it carried just below 35,000 passengers, a 264% increase compared to last year. “These results confirm the firm improvement of Cyprus Airways,” the announcement noted, adding that during the third quarter (July-September 2022) it carried 127,247 passengers and operated more than 900 flights, with an average seat load of Read More

Government Discusses Potential For A Railway Network In Cyprus

The possibility of building a railway network in Cyprus and prospects to co-fund the project were discussed for the first time on Monday with the European Commissioner for Transport, Adina Vălean, during her visit in Cyprus to attend the “Maritime Cyprus 2022” conference, Minister of Transport, Yiannis Karousos said. He was addressing a joint press conference with Shipping Deputy Minister Vassilios Demetriades, and Commissioner Vălean.   Continue reading at source: Gold Read More

“Heartland of Legends” promotes slow tourism in Cyprus

The project “Heartland of Legends” promotes alternative forms of tourism and offers authentic experiences to visitors while encouraging circular economy and sustainability, Deputy Minister of Tourism Savvas Perdios said Thursday, during a discussion in the framework of the 9th UNECE Ministerial Conference which takes place in Nicosia. He told the Cyprus News Agency that “Heartland of Legends” is an innovative project and noted that Cyprus is becoming a destination that wants to promote local products and producers, as well as Read More

Wizz Air to Fly Some 800,000 Passengers to Cyprus by Year’s End

Wizz Air expects to bring to Cyprus between 700,000 to 800,000 passengers by the end of the year, Evelyn Jeckel, Wizz Air leadership team representative has said, speaking to the Cyprus News Agency. Wizz Air, a Hungarian airline founded in 2004, operates all across Europe and the Middle East with over 1000 routes at this stage and 160 aircraft based in 40 different places. Larnaca is the company's base in in Cyprus. "We have been flying to Larnaca since 2005, Read More

Annual Increase Of Property Sales By 18% So Far In 2022, Land Registry Director Tells CNA

Property sales increased by 18% during the first nine months of 2022, compared to the corresponding period in 2021. Also, the number of sale agreements submitted to the Land Registry Department, increased by 36%, Director of the Department, Elikkos Elia, has told Cyprus News Agency. Elia said that 10,000 sale agreements are submitted annually, as well as the exchange of 16,000-17,000 properties as a gift. He also pointed out the significant role of the Department to the economy of the Read More

Investment funds put €2.5 bln in Cypriot economy

The Cyprus Investment Funds Association (CIFA) on Wednesday held an event focusing on the latest developments in Cyprus’ investment funds sector, spearheaded by the association’s president and board of directors. “The investment funds sector is on an upward trajectory and has developed at a rapid pace in recent years,” the association said.   In addition, Cyprus’ total Assets Under Management (AuM) have risen from €6.3 billion in 2018 to €11.1 billion in the first quarter of 2022, according Read More

Perdios Expresses Satisfaction Over The Number Of Tourism Arrivals Recorded In 2022

The number of tourist arrivals in Cyprus this year were satisfactory despite the losses recorded from the British and Russian markets, Deputy Minister of Tourism, Savvas Perdios has said, pointing out that the strategy to tap new European markets paid off as some 40% of the arrivals recorded in 2022 came from EU countries, up by 22% compared with 2019. The strategy to diversify the markets of the Cyprus tourism industry, focusing on European markets, was successful, according to data Read More

“Tourism playing a key role in the island’s economy”

Tourism is currently playing a key role in helping the island’s economy overcome a difficult period, president of the Cyprus Hotels Association (Pasyxe) Haris Loizides said on Monday. In a statement released ahead of World Tourism Day, celebrated each year on September 27, Loizides said tourism in Cyprus continues to provide respite despite the additional difficulties posed by the war in Ukraine, and the consequent loss of the Russian market.   Cyprus’ goal is to be included in the World Read More

Petrides: Cyprus To Issue Green Bonds By The End Of 2022

Cyprus is expected to join the club of countries that issue green bonds, with the first issuance of "green loans" before the end of the year, Cyprus' Finance Minister Constantinos Petrides said on Wednesday. "The decision to proceed with the issuance of a green bond by the end of the year has been approved by the Cabinet" said Petrides, addressing the annual general meeting of the Association of Cyprus Banks.   Continue reading at source:  Gold Read More

Paphos hotels able to meet winter demand

Paphos tourism board (Etap) managing director Nasos Hadjigeorgiou on Tuesday said that despite the fact that certain hotels and tourist accommodation units will close during the winter, the district will have enough capacity to service winter demand. During the winter period, Hadjigeorgiou explained, Paphos will have a capacity of approximately 8,500 rooms, across a number of hotels, offering different levels of experience, and will be able to welcome more than 180,000 visitors between November 2022 and March 2023.     Read More

Shipping Deputy Ministry Establishes Committee For Promotion Of Maritime Culture And Studies

The Deputy Ministry of Shipping expects to bring shipping closer to young people and to society in general, by establishing the Committee for the development of maritime culture and the promotion of maritime studies in Cyprus and a 16-member group of young shipping workers, who will act as guides. The initiative, which uses the acronym D.I.S.C.O (Dive Into Shipping Career Opportunities) and with the slogan "Let's Disco", was presented on Monday by the Deputy Minister of Read More

Paphos encouraged by airlines’ winter flight plans

The Paphos tourism board (Etap) is satisfied with the town’s air connectivity for the coming winter period, it said. Etap managing director Nasos Hadjigeorgiou said that despite the fact that the winter period will be difficult, he finds it encouraging that both Ryanair and easyJet, the airport’s primary users, have quite extensive flight schedules during this time. He mentioned that these two airlines connect Paphos to 35 other airports and carry out approximately 100 inbound flights every week.     Read More

Cyprus GDP Growth Estimated At 5.8% For Q2

Cyprus’ GDP growth rate in real terms during the second quarter of 2022 is positive and it is estimated at 5.8% over the corresponding quarter of 2021, according to data published by the Statistical Service of Cyprus. Based on seasonally and working day adjusted data, GDP growth rate in real terms is estimated at 6.1%.   Continue reading at source: Gold Read More

‘Developing markets can benefit from medical tourism boom’

During the previous week, Deputy Minister of Tourism Savvas Perdios spoke on two government schemes that seek to bolster Cyprus’ tourism product, with particular focus on the healthcare and wellness sector, which are most commonly spoken about under the catch-all term of medical tourism. “We are essentially talking about a qualitative improvement of the services provided by existing units with clear objectives, such as their digital transition, their energy transition and the upgrading or addition of health, wellness and assisted Read More

Tourism revenue exceeds €800 million in first half of the year

Tourism revenue reached €835.7 million in the first half of 2022, reflecting a significant increase compared to the corresponding period of 2021, according to a report released on Monday by the Cyprus Statistical Service. In relation to the first half of 2019, a record year for Cypriot tourism, there is a decrease of 16.7 per cent. According to the report, which used traveller survey data, tourism revenues rose by 115.5 per cent year-on-year in June 2022 and Read More

Energy Minister: Cyprus should begin exporting first natural gas by 2026-2027

Minister of Energy Natasa Pilides has said that ‘realistically’ Cyprus should begin exporting its first natural gas by 2026-2027. In an interview with Greek newspaper ‘To Vima’ on Sunday Pilides also said the ENI/Total consortium is drafting a specific plan on how their finds offshore Cyprus should be exploited. The plan which has set has deadlines also outlines the opportunities and ways to export the natural gas.   Continue reading at source: Read More

French and Polish tourists but also Cypriots flood Ayia Napa Protaras resorts

The popular holiday resorts of Ayia Napa and Protaras are flooded with visitors just like the good old days in 2019, key tourism players told Philenews. And the good thing this year is that French and Polish tourists have given fingers up to these resorts in addition to Cypriots from other districts – especially Nicosians.   Continue reading at source: Read More

US State Department Reaffirms Long-Standing Policy On Cyprus EEZ

The US appears positive in the development of natural gas resources in Cyprus’ Exclusive Economic Zone after the announcements of the ENI-TOTAL consortium for new discoveries in Block 6. According to statements made by a US State Department representative, such development will promote European energy security while strengthening the foundations for energy security throughout the region.   Continue reading at source: Gold Read More

Cyprus Joins The Digital Cooperation Organization

Cyprus aspires to act as a bridge between nations, people and ideas, facilitating communication, collaboration and knowledge transfer, Deputy Minister for Research, Innovation and Digital Policy, Kyriacos Kokkinos said on Wednesday at the Ceremony marking the accession of Cyprus to the Digital Cooperation Organization (DCO), which took place at the Presidential Place in Nicosia. Kokkinos signed the accession documents with the Secretary-General of the DCO, Deema Al-Yahya, in the presence of the President of Cyprus’ Parliament, Annita Demetriou. The Deputy Read More

Foreign investments key to sustainable growth

Evgenios Evgeniou, chairman of the Cyprus Investment Promotion Agency, commonly referred to as Invest Cyprus, on Wednesday said that the country’s efforts to attract foreign companies have helped the economy’s resilience and are contributing toward a more sustainable economic model. “The Cypriot economy has faced intense challenges as a result of a series of unpredictable external factors, such as the pandemic, the war in Ukraine and the rapid increase in inflation,” Evgeniou said.       Continue reading at source: Read More

Cyprus Joins The Digital Cooperation Organization

Cyprus aspires to act as a bridge between nations, people and ideas, facilitating communication, collaboration and knowledge transfer, Deputy Minister for Research, Innovation and Digital Policy, Kyriacos Kokkinos said on Wednesday at the Ceremony marking the accession of Cyprus to the Digital Cooperation Organization (DCO), which took place at the Presidential Place in Nicosia. Kokkinos signed the accession documents with the Secretary-General of the DCO, Deema Al-Yahya, in the presence of the President of Cyprus’ Parliament, Annita Demetriou.   Continue Read More

Cyprus Pledges To Contribute To The Supply Of Energy In The European Market

Cyprus will contribute in every possible way to achieve the common goal, so that any gap that appears in the supply of energy on the European market can be covered in a timely manner, underlined Marios Panayides, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Energy, Commerce and Industry. Panayides was representing Cyprus at Tuesday's extraordinary meeting of the Energy Council of the EU, in Brussels.   Continue reading at source: Gold Read More

New offshore drilling at Aphrodite field announced

Cyprus and Chevron reaffirmed their commitments to developing the Aphrodite gas field within the island’s EEZ, with a development concept promised by the end of the year. Thursday’s announcement saw Energy Minister Natasa Pilides and President of Chevron Middle East, Africa, South America Exploration and Production Company Clay Neff issue a joint statement after briefing House president Anita Demetriou on the development works at Aphrodite.   It detailed that in the coming months on-site drilling of a new well is Read More

Many Cypriots opt for subsidized domestic holidays this year

Many Cypriots have opted to go to free Famagusta area for their holidays this year within the framework of the latest subsidized holiday scheme for locals. And this has compensated enough for the substantial decline of Russian tourists this holiday season, Philenews reported on Wednesday. The pandemic has been a major reason for the support of these programs and the public’s huge interest in them.   Continue reading at source: Read More

Growth Of Cypriot Investment Funds Significantly Exceeded The European Average For Another Year

The data reflected in "Fact Book 2022 – Trends in European Investment Funds" of the European Funds and Asset Management Association (EFAMA), the leading publication for Investment Funds in Europe, demonstrate the dynamics and strengths of the specific sector in Cyprus. The Cyprus Investment Funds Association (CIFA) considers that even though in recent years the international markets have been characterized by uncertainty and volatility, the sector in Cyprus has shown resilience and continued to grow at all levels: from improving Read More

Tourist Arrivals At 75% Compared To 2019, Says Tourism Deputy Minister

Tourist arrivals in Cyprus are at 75% compared to 2019, said Deputy Minister of Tourism Savvas Perdios, pointing out that in the context of the current challenges the industry is facing, that percentage is “not bad at all.” Speaking in Paphos after a memorial service for people who were killed during the Turkish invasion in 1974, Perdios noted that 2019 was a record year for tourism, with more than 4 million arrivals. “So far, we are satisfied,” he said, Read More

Parliament Votes To Expand Framework For Attracting Companies

Cyprus Parliament, with 50 votes in favour and one abstention, approved into law two amending bills aimed at expanding the framework for attracting companies to Cyprus. With the approval of these two laws, the package of tax measures included in the Strategy for Attracting Businesses to Activate and/or Expand their Activities in Cyprus, as approved by the Council of Ministers, is completed. The Plenary approved the amendment of the Law on Income Tax, expanding the scope of the existing framework Read More

Attracting foreign investments key for growth says president

PwC Cyprus on Monday said that international investments are crucial to the Cypriot economy, something which was highlighted during the Invest Cyprus International Investment Awards. The event took place on Friday at the Park Lane Hotel in Limassol. This was the ninth consecutive year in which PwC Cyprus hosted the Invest Cyprus International Investment Awards annual event.   Continue reading at Read More

Cyprus’ land and properties evaluated at €186 billion

The land and surveys department on Thursday published its new evaluations for January 1, 2021, covering a total of 1,660,048 properties — 25,102 or 1.5 per cent more than the 2018 survey. The total value of the properties exceeds €186 billion, some €4 billion more than the 2018 evaluations. Land values remain basically the same as in 2018, while the small increase in the value of buildings is attributed primarily to costlier building materials, Ellikos Elia, director of the Read More

Proportional regulation beneficial to services sector says CySEC chief

The CFA Society Cyprus on Tuesday announced the successful completion of its forum on the future of the Cypriot economy. CFA Society Cyprus, which boasts more than 120 members, is the local representative of the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Institute, a global association of investment professionals. The event involved the participation of numerous professionals and stakeholders from the financial sector, both from Cyprus and abroad.       Continue reading at source: Cyprus Read More

Panayides: Cyprus Backs EU Support To Green Tech In Mediterranean

Cyprus agrees with the creation of a common platform for the supply of natural gas, as well as the EU providing financial support for innovative green technologies to mainly address the needs of the Southern Mediterranean, the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Energy, Marios Panayides, said during a meeting of the Council of EU Energy Ministers held in Luxembourg on Monday. Panayides was speaking in the context of the discussion regarding the energy situation in the EU due to Read More

Tourist arrivals exceed 300,000 in May

The Cyprus Statistical Service (Cystat) on Friday released its latest tourism report showing that 315,018 tourists arrived in Cyprus in May 2022, a 212.3 per cent year-on-year increase. The number of arrivals stood at 100,852 visitors in May of the previous year. For the period between January and May 2022, tourist arrivals amounted to 849,058 visitors, compared to just 156,825 in the corresponding period of 2021.   Continue reading at source: Cyprus Read More

Deputy Ministry Of Tourism Announces Over 2 Million Euro Funds For Countryside Projects

The Deputy Ministry of Tourism announced funding of over €2 million for projects that create “authentic experiences” in the countryside, with an open invitation for applications. The total fund of €2.050.000 allocated is part of the Scheme for Rejuvenation of the countryside, mountainous and remote areas, as approved lately by the Cabinet.   Continue reading at source: Gold Read More

Ayia Napa Marina Makes Cyprus An All-Year-Round Tourist Destination, Says President Anastasiades

The Ayia Napa Marina establishes Cyprus as an all-year-round tourist destination, said the President of the Republic Nicos Anastasiades, who attended the grand opening ceremony of the Marina on Tuesday evening. President Anastasiades characterised Ayia Napa Marina as ''an iconic project", which "will not only alter the tourist landscape of Cyprus, but of the Eastern Mediterranean as well." He also expressed his "sincere appreciation and gratitude" to Naguib Sawiris and the Caramondanis Group for getting the project over the Read More

Cyprus supports responsible East Med gas exploitation says minister

Minister of Energy, Commerce and Industry Natasa Pilides on Wednesday said that Cyprus is in favour of exploiting regional gas reserves in a sensible, effective and legal way. “As we have already stated and proved through actions, on numerous occasions, Cyprus is committed to our collective efforts to responsibly and efficiently monetise the Eastern Mediterranean’s offshore gas discoveries, whilst fully respecting the rights of members over their natural resources, in accordance with international law,” Pilides said.       Continue Read More

Perdios Announces Plan For Revival Of Rural And Mountain Areas

The Cabinet approved a plan for the revival of rural and mountain areas, Deputy Minister of Tourism, Savvas Perdios said after the meeting that took place Wednesday at the Presidential Palace. Perdios said the plan aims at enriching and upgrading the tourist product in rural, mountain and remote areas of the island. This is a programme from the EU Recovery Fund under the "Cyprus Tomorrow" programme and is the second of four projects to be announced by the Deputy Ministry Read More

Tourist-Related Activities Continued Leading The Way To Annual Gains In Services Turnover Value Index

Tourist related activities continued leading to an increase in the Services Turnover Value Index in the first quarter of 2022, reflecting the recovery of Tourism following the COVID-19 disruption. According to data published on Tuesday by the Statistical Service of Cyprus (Cystat) Turnover Value Index during the first quarter of 2022 recorded annual increases in the sectors of accommodation and food service activities with 91.1%, of information and communication with 32.5, of administrative and support service activities with Read More

Shipping Industry Resilient And Competitive, Says Deputy Minister

Shipping industry has proven to be resilient and remains competitive offering the biggest benefits to the Cyprus economy, Deputy Minister for shipping Vasilios Demetriades has said. Speaking before the House Transport Committee, the Deputy Minister said that the situation as regards the sanctions on Russia, following the invasion in Ukraine, is manageable, adding that efforts are underway for Cyprus shipping to enter into the Asian market rather than being dependent on just one or two markets. "We will soon announce Read More

Cyprus Aims At Over Two Million Tourist Arrivals This Year, Perdios Says

Cyprus aims at attracting more than two million tourist arrivals this year, Deputy Minister for Tourism Savvas Perdios has said. In statements following a meeting of the parliamentary committee of Commerce, Perdios recalled that after the loss of an estimated 800,000 tourists from Russia and Ukraine, tourist arrivals in 2022 could not reach the record four million of 2019 but is expected to exceed the two million arrivals of last year. “Demand for Cyprus is high and as the Deputy Read More

Paphos Airport sees 600,000 passengers in first four months of 2022

Hermes Airports on Tuesday announced that in May a total of 223 flights across 55 destinations are operating on a weekly basis from Paphos International Airport. In more detail, Paphos Airport this month is seeing flights to airports of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Denmark, Greece, Jordan, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Croatia, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and the United Kingdom.   Flights increase during the summer months, ultimately reaching 253 flights a week across 59 destinations in August.   Read More

EU Forecasts For Cypriot GDP In 2022 And 2023 In Line With Our Forecasts, Finance Ministry Says

The European Commission forecasts for Cypriot GDP for 2022 and 2023, at 2.3% and 3.5% respectively, are in line with the latest forecasts of Cyprus Ministry of Finance, which forecast growth of 2.7% and 3.8%, showing the resilience of the Cypriot economy in times of crisis, the Ministry of Finance said in a press release on Tuesday. The European Commission's spring forecast, released on Monday, says that after a strong 5.5% recovery in 2021, economic Read More

Demetriades: Cyprus-Greece Ferry Link Successful, Could Be Extended To One More Country

The ferry link between Cyprus and Greece that will soon resume after 21 years is a successful project and must be embraced to become viable, Deputy Minister for Shipping Vasilis Demetriades has said, adding that in the near future it could be extended to include a neighboring country. "The ferry connection between Cyprus and Greece is a successful project, since after 21 years we managed to give an alternative option to our fellow citizens and create the framework for further Read More

The Cyprus Equity Fund To Boost Innovation Ecosystem, FinMin Says

The Ministry of Finance has long been committed to introducing a financial instrument to support startups and innovative companies with equity financing, Finance Minister Constantinos Petrides has said, adding the agreement with the European Investment Fund to manage this new financial instrument is of paramount importance and a significant milestone in the government's efforts to enhance alternative financing. In an address at an event to present the Cyprus Equity Fund, the first equity fund in Cyprus to be supported by Read More

President Says He Is Proud Over Cyprus Shipping Performance In A Challenging Year

“In such a challenging year, with an ever-changing landscape of rules and regulations, I could not be prouder of the Shipping Industry’s performance, its contribution to the Cyprus Economy and its vital role to the society during the pandemic,” President Nicos Anastasiades has said, during the Cyprus Shipping Chamber’s 33rd Annual General Meeting in an address that was read out by Deputy Minister for Shipping, Vassilis Demetriades. According to Anastasiades, the contribution of the shipping industry to the Cyprus remains Read More

Cyprus To Export Natural Gas By 2026, Energy Minister Says

Cyprus is targeting first natural gas exports by 2026 via the “Aphrodite” gas field, Minister of Energy, Commerce and Industry Natasa Pilides has said. Speaking after a hearing of the parliamentary committee of Commerce, Pilides said there are many options concerning natural gas infrastructures, one of which is a pipeline connecting the Cypriot gas fields with Egypt, either a joint pipeline with Israeli gas fields or separately. Pilides also said that there were in advanced contacts with companies that own Read More

Cyprus tourist arrivals beat previous two years

Tourist arrivals to Cyprus in March 2022 amounted to 128,840, with arrivals for the first quarter of the year reaching 244,705, according to data released on Thursday by the Cyprus Statistical Service (Cystat). Cyprus’ quarterly tourist arrivals exceeded the performance of both the respective quarter of 2021 and 2020.   Continue reading at source: Cyprus Read More

Cyprus Hotels Association Hopes That This Year Will Be Better Than Last Year In The Tourism Sector

The hope that the tourism movement that started during the Easter holidays will continue, so that this year will be better than the last, expressed on Tuesday Director General of the Cyprus Hotels Association, Philokypros Roussounides. Roussounides told CNA that there has been tourism movement in April, mainly in the Paphos district and the mountainous areas, where bookings, on average, are expected to reach 50% of the overall capacity this month, while bookings during the Easter week were at around Read More

Кипрская экономика выросла на 8,4%

Валовый внутренний продукт Кипра за 2021 год достиг рекордно высокого уровня – 23,43 млрд евро. Основным драйвером остается частное потребление. Его объемы увеличились на 5,9% и в денежном выражении составили 13,87 млрд евро. Хотя к допандемийным значениям пока вернуться не удается. В 2019 году данная цифра достигала 14,07 млрд евро.  Рецессия в 2020 году составила 6%. В 2019 году Кипр добился роста на 6,5%, что несколько ниже, чем в 2018 году, когда рост составил 6,8%. ВВП страны превысил уровень Read More

Cyprus property sales hit €1.3bn in first quarter of 2022

Property sales in Cyprus reached €1.3 billion during the first quarter of 2022, according to a report by the land registry released on Tuesday. “The land registry data reflects the dynamic momentum of the real estate sector,” the Real Estate Registration Council (Sek) said in a statement following the publication of the report. According to the data, a total of 5,258 property sales took place during this time in Cyprus, with the total value of transactions reaching €1.272 Read More

Anastasiades: 40-Million Euro Plan To Revive Nicosia’s City Centre Within The City Walls

The Cyprus government presented on Monday a plan to revive Nicosia’s centre situated within the historic Venetian walls totalling €40 million, of which €25 million will be financed by Cyprus’ National Recovery and Resilience Fund. The plan, with an implementation horizon between 2022 and 2026, features the transfer the University of Cyprus school of architecture in the historic Phaneromeni School, incentives for the creation of student residences, subsidies to boost entrepreneurship in the city-centre, urban incentives, as well as a Read More

Pilides: EuroAsia Interconnector Is A "Game Changer"

The EuroAsia Interconnector project can be a game changer for energy security and energy supply to the European market, Cyprus’ Minister of Energy, Natassa Pilides stressed on Monday. She was speaking following the conclusion of the Trilateral Meeting, held in Jerusalem with the participation of her Israeli and Greek counterparts, Karine Elharar and Costas Skrekas, respectively. In her statements Pilides also noted the importance of strategic partnerships in volatile times, especially during the current crisis in the Ukraine. These partnerships Read More

Deputy Minister For Tourism Upbeat Over A Good Year Despite Loss Of Russian And Ukrainian Markets

Savvas Perdios, Cyprus’ Deputy Minister for Tourism, reiterated on Monday that he is optimistic that this year’s tourist season will fair better than 2021, despite the loss of tourists from Ukraine Russia, Cyprus’ second largest market, due to the war in Ukraine. Speaking to the press at the sidelines of the Cyprus Hotel Managers Association Annual General Meeting, Perdios said Cyprus in 2022 will attract increased tourist flows from the United Kingdom, Israel, Germany, France, Switzerland and Austria compared with Read More

Cyprus Energy Minister To Attend Trilateral Meeting With Greek And Israeli Counterparts In Jerusalem

Cyprus Energy, Commerce and Industry Minister, Natasa Pilides, will discuss the progress on energy cooperation between Cyprus, Greece and Israel, as regards the "EuroAsia Interconnector" and the work of the "East Mediterranean Gas Forum", among other things, with her Greek and Israeli counterparts during a Trilateral Meeting of Energy Ministers of Israel, Cyprus and Greece, that will be held in Jerusalem on Monday, April 11, in the morning.   Continue reading at source: Gold Read More

Revenue From Tourism Just Over 28 Million Euro In January

Revenue from tourism in Cyprus were just over €28 million in the first month of 2022, with the reduction rate compared with January 2020 (pre-Covid) remaining below the corresponding reduction rate of arrivals. According to the Passenger Survey conducted by the Statistical Service of Cyprus (Cystat), revenue from tourism reached €28.2 mn in January 2022 compared to just €2.8 mn in January 2021 and €40.2 mn in January 2020.   Continue reading at source: Gold Read More

More than 7 million passengers expected in 2022

Transport Minister Yiannis Karousos on Wednesday said during a conference held by the Employers and Industrialists Federation (Oev) at the Ayia Napa marina that passenger traffic to Cyprus is expected to exceed 7 million in 2022. The conference examined how the state can support entrepreneurship and provide financing opportunities to Cypriot businesses.   Karousos added that passenger arrivals are expected to increase by 50 per cent when compared to 2021, while there are 50 per cent more seats on aircraft Read More

Perdios Meets With UK Tour Operators To Fill Arrivals' Gap Expected From Ukraine War

Deputy Minister of Tourism Savvas Perdios met with tour operators in London in an effort to fill the gap in this year’s tourist arrivals which will be affected by the war in Ukraine. Perdios told CNA on Saturday that “we are working based on the worst-case scenario, meaning that arrivals from Russia and Ukraine are expected to be nil this year”. The aim of the visit is to evaluate and increase the arrival of tourists from Britain which will fill Read More

Positive Prospects For Cyprus Gas Fields, Energy Minister Says

Cyprus Energy Minister Natasa Pilides said on Wednesday that the latest developments may positively affect the development program of Cyprus deposits and referred to her contacts with her counterparts of Egypt and Israel towards this direction. Invited to comment on the US Secretary of State`s position on the importance of the Eastern Mediterranean region in the energy sector and new role of Cyprus, Pilides said that the Egyptian Minister of Petroleum, whom she met this week, has already proceeded to Read More

SMEs In Cyprus And EU Take Environmental Sustainability Steps Eurobarometer Shows

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the European Union have already undertaken substantive actions to transition their business operations towards environmental sustainability, according to the findings of the 2022 edition of the Eurobarometer on SMEs, resource efficiency and green markets. Overall, 89% of SMEs in the EU are taking at least one of the actions listed in the survey to become more resource-efficient, for example by using predominantly renewable energy, recycling or minimising waste. 9% said that they had not Read More

Eurobank Cyprus posts €52.3 million net profit

Eurobank Cyprus on Wednesday announced that it posted a net profit of €52.3 million for 2021, boosting its profitability from the year before, while at the same time improving its asset quality through the further reduction of non-performing loans (NPLs). “2021 was a milestone year, as it marked the beginning of a very demanding effort, which will continue throughout 2022, to restart the economy and return the market to its pre-pandemic condition,” Eurobank Cyprus Chief Executive Officer Michalis Louis Read More

National knowledge transfer office to be announced in coming months

A national knowledge transfer office is set to be announced in the coming months, Chief Scientist and Research and Innovation Foundation President Nikolas Mastroyiannopoulos has told CNA, pointing out that the aim is to commercialise research outcomes and produce products and services with an international orientation so that the country’s economy can be strengthened. In an interview with Cyprus News Agency, Mastroyiannopoulos speaks, among other things, of the funding programmes in the area of research and innovation for the next Read More

Ireland Fully Behind UN Mandate In Cyprus And Closer Trade Relations (VIDEO)

Ireland’s full support to the UN mandate in Cyprus and efforts to reinforce trade relations between Ireland and Cyprus were the main points stressed by Martin Heydon, Minister of State for Research and Development, Farm Safety and New Market Development of Ireland, in his interview to CNA on 14 March in Nicosia. Heydon visited Cyprus as part of Irish Ministers travelling worldwide to spread the message of St Patrick’s Day: “Mindful of the very difficult international circumstances, we do this Read More

Economic sentiment in Cyprus improves in February

In February 2022, economic sentiment in Cyprus improved as the Economic Sentiment Indicator (ESI-CypERC) increased by 3.5 points compared with January 2022. According to a press release of the Economic Research Centre of the University of Cyprus, the increase in the ESI-CypERC resulted from stronger business confidence in services and, to a smaller extent, from confidence improvements in retail trade and industry.   The increase in the Services Confidence Indicator resulted from more favourable assessments of recent turnover trends Read More

Perdios Sees Momentum For Direct Flights To And From Saudi Arabia

Cyprus Deputy Minister for Tourism Savvas Perdios said there is serious momentum for establishing direct flights to and from Saudi Arabia, stressing that this possibility could unlock the Saudi tourism market for Cyprus. Perdios visited Jeddah for contacts with local officials and tourist stakeholders aiming to push for a direct flight between the two countries, which Cyprus has sought for three years. He held separate contacts with senior officials from the Saudi Chamber of Commerce and the Civil Aviation as Read More

Invest Cyprus joins initiative to attract tech workers

The Cyprus Investment Promotion Agency, commonly known as Invest Cyprus, has entered a collaborative initiative with counterparts from 16 other EU member states seeking to attract technology industry employees to their respective countries, it announced on Wednesday. Promoting EU countries as the best place for talent to settle seeks to address the issue of labour shortages observed in the technology industry across the world, which the European Union has not been immune to.       Continue reading at source: Read More

Cyprus President Travels To Dubai Heading A Large Delegation

Cyprus President, Nicos Anastasiades, travels on Monday, to Dubai, heading a large delegation, for meetings and consultations aiming to strengthen bilateral cooperation between Cyprus and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). He will also visit Cyprus` kiosk at EXPO 2020, one of the biggest world exhibitions. A business forum will take place February 24, in the presence of President Anastasiades, who will address it. He will also address an event at the Cyprus kiosk for the celebrations of Cyprus national day. Read More

Minister says Larnaca Port and Marina to benefit Cypriot economy

Minister of Transport, Communications and Works, Yiannis Karousos, said on Friday that the project of Larnaca port and marina will significantly reinforce the Cypriot economy, with the benefit estimated at 120 million euros per year. Karousos, accompanied by MPs from the House Transport Committee, visited Larnaka Port, the Larnaka District Public Work Mechanic Office and Larnaka’s Archaeological Museum.   Continue reading at soure: Read More

Transport Minister Sees Positive Prospects For Upcoming Tourist Season

Prospects for the upcoming tourist season are very positive, Transport, Communications and Works Minister Yiannis Karousos said on Tuesday. Karousos was replying to a journalist`s question on the indications for the tourist season, after a Cabinet meeting, at the Presidential Palace. "We believe that 2022 has started with the best possible omens for passenger traffic and tourism," he said, adding that airline seats offered are similar to 2019 levels and that a number of airlines have increased available seats for Read More

High Growth Rate Confirms Economic Resilience And Policy Soundness, Petrides Says

The continued high growth rate in the fourth quarter of 2021 confirms the resilience and dynamism showed by the Cyprus economy and the soundness of the government’s policies, boosting expectations for further growth in 2022, Finance Minister Constantinos Petrides said on Tuesday. Petrides’ comments came in the wake of the flash estimate published by the Statistical Service of Cyprus (Cystat) showing that the economy grew by 6%, seasonally adjusted in the fourth quarter of 2021, while throughout the year the Read More

Natasa Pilides Holds Contacts In Cairo In The Framework Of Egypt Petroleum Show

The European Commission has announced that it has approved an estimated two million euro Cypriot scheme to support private investments into innovative small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which will contribute to the implementation of the country’s Recovery and Resilience Plan. The support will take the form of an income tax relief in favour of private investors, both natural persons and corporate investors, who decide to invest into early-stage, innovative SMEs.   Continue reading at source: Gold Read More

Commission Approves Two Million Euro Cypriot Scheme To Support Investments Into Innovative SMEs

The European Commission has announced that it has approved an estimated two million euro Cypriot scheme to support private investments into innovative small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which will contribute to the implementation of the country’s Recovery and Resilience Plan. The support will take the form of an income tax relief in favour of private investors, both natural persons and corporate investors, who decide to invest into early-stage, innovative SMEs.   Continue reading at source: Gold Read More

Cyprus exports exceeded €3 bln in 2021

Cyprus’ foreign trade showed signs of recovery in the final two months of 2021, with exports hitting €702.7 million in value during that time, while total exports surpassed €3 billion for the entire year. According to the Cyprus Statistical Service (Cystat), the revised and finalised data for November show a 354.1 per cent increase in the exports of foreign products, including aviation and maritime supplies, reaching €223.4 million in total.   The export of locally produced products Read More

Gradual Increase Of Flights From And To Pafos Airport Expected In February

A gradual increase of flights from and to Pafos International Airport is expected in February, according to the flight program and provided that the epidemiologic data will not affect the flying program of the airline companies. According to Hermes Airports which manages and controls Larnaka International Airport and Pafos International Airport, February’s first week closed with a total of 85 flights at Pafos Airport. During the week 14-20 February 112 flights are planned, while on 21-27 February, 114 flights are Read More

Conference On Air Connectivity To Be Held In Cyprus This Year, Transport Minister Says

A conference on air connectivity is expected to take place in early April in Cyprus, Minister of Transport, Communications and Works Yiannis Karousos said, addressing the Aviation Summit held on Friday in Toulouse under the French Presidency of the EU. In the Summit, Karoussos, among other things, referred to the impact of climate change in Cyprus, while he also referred to Cyprus` dependence on aviation with regard to its connectivity with other countries, noting that together with the tourism sector Read More

Tourism and Shipping Ministers welcome Royal Caribbean’s commitment to Cyprus

Deputy Ministers for Tourism and Shipping Savvas Perdios and Vassilis Demetriades welcomed the assurances by Royal Caribbean’s interest to invest in Cyprus, expressing their readiness to enhance the island’s cooperation with the cruise liner. Officials and media representatives were hosted in the world’s biggest ship, the Wonder of the Seas docked in the Limassol port, with Ben Bouldin, Royal Caribbean’s Vice President for Europe, the Middle East and Africa announcing that Limassol will be included in the company’s destinations in Read More

Transport Minister In Toulouse To Take Part In Aviation Summit

Minister of Transport departed on Wednesday for Toulouse, France, to take part in the Aviation Summit held in the context of the French Presidency of the Council of the EU. The Summit will bring together the Ministers of Transport and the heads of Civil Aviation of the 27 member-states, European representatives of the European Commission and the European Parliament as well stakeholders in air transport.   Continue reading at source: Gold Read More

Majority Of Cypriots To Opt For A Hybrid Or Electric Car According To EIB Survey

Cypriot car buyers taking part in a European Investment Bank’s (EIB) survey have replied by 85% that they will pick either a hybrid or electric car the next time they purchase a vehicle, while only 15% would still opt for a petrol or diesel car. According to a relevant press release, the second part of the 2021-2022 EIB Climate Survey explores people’s views on climate change in a rapidly changing world. The results of this survey focus on citizens’ individual Read More

Danos Cyprus Real Estate Market Report: Tourism Market Report

The decline recorded by the tourism sector seems to be reversed, as it showed signs of recovery   The arrivals of tourists reached 148.973 in November 2021 compared to 8.952 in November 2020 and to 169.392 tourist arrivals in November 2019.  For the period of January – November 2021, arrivals of tourists totaled 1.840.003 compared to 621.927 in the corresponding period of 2020, recording an increase of 195,9%, and a decrease of 52,4% compared Read More

World's Largest Cruise Ship Docks In Limassol Port

The largest and most modern cruise ship in the world, the Wonder of the Seas of Royal Caribbean, has anchored in the port of Limassol on Monday. In a tweet, Transport, Communications and Works Minister Yiannis Karousos said that "the benefits to our economy and tourism are huge when top shipping companies dock in Cyprus." "We welcome the largest cruise ship in the world, the Royal Caribbean's Wonder of the Seas to Limassol port," he added.   Continue reading Read More

Cyprus Tourism Product Gets Upgraded With 12 Subsidy Schemes

The Deputy Ministry of Tourism on Friday presented 12 subsidy schemes that are set to bring Cyprus in the top 30 countries with the most developed tourism in the world, by helping local authorities, organisations and companies to improve their services and attract more visitors. In an online video presentation, Perdios said that his Deputy Ministry took many months to develop these schemes, with the vision to be by the side of those who can benefit from all this work, which, Read More

Cyprus Planning First Green Bond

Cyprus could issue its first green or sustainability bond as soon as next year and would aim to raise at least 500 million euros, an official at its debt management agency told Reuters. Proposals for such a deal have been discussed but still need government approval, according to the official, who asked not to be identified. "This is something that we are considering, but this is something that takes significant time to do," the official said, adding that the debt Read More

Pilides Welcomes €657 Million Funding For EuroAsia Interconnector

Minister of Energy Natasa Pilides welcomed on Wednesday the approval of €657 million from European funds for the EuroAsia Interconnector, a European Project of Common Interest aiming to connect the national electricity grids of Israel, Cyprus and Greece through a 1,208km subsea HVDC cable. The funds were approved under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF).   Continue reading at source: Gold Read More

Planned projects will change the face of Limassol

Interior Minister Nicos Nouris was in Limassol on Tuesday to review progress in a number of projects, including an affordable housing initiative. In statements after a meeting with Mayor Nicos Nicolaides, Nouris said the projects discussed would change the face of Limassol.   He singled out a large project being carried out in consultation with the Cyprus Land Development Corporation (CLDC) to build homes as part of the affordable housing and affordable rent schemes as well as other town planning Read More

Apartments Keep Pushing Residence Prices Up

Residential property prices in Cyprus continued to rise in Q3 2021, primarily driven by apartment purchases, according to Residential Property Price Index released by the Central Bank of Cyprus (CBC). The Index recorded a quarterly increase of 0.5% compared to 0.3% in the Q1 2021, while on an annual basis the index recorded an increase of 1.2% compared to 0.3% in the corresponding quarter of the previous year. House prices in the third quarter decreased in Read More

Anastasiades: All Necessary Tools Will Be Provided For The EAC's Modernisation

President Nicos Anastasiades said on Thursday that the government would provide all necessary tools to allow the Electricity Authority of Cyprus (EAC) to modernise its operation, as well as to encourage even more independent energy providers to operate in the Cyprus market. President Anastasiades was speaking during a meeting he chaired at the Presidential Palace on the EAC`s progress towards the new competitive environment, which was also attended by Minister of Energy, Commerce and Industry, Natasa Pilides and Minister of Read More

Larnaca Port And Marina Project On Track, Karousos Says

The €1.2 billion project for the joint redevelopment of the Larnaca port and the Marina area is on track for implementation, Minister of Transport, Communications and Works, Yiannis Karousos, said on Wednesday. Karousos was briefed today by the holder of the contract, Kition Ocean Holdings, over the master plan of the project expected to be completed in four phases. In statements to the press, Karousos said the investor presented the Master Plan submitted to the Ministry for approval, adding Read More

CySEC sees regulated entities increase, gears up for digital currencies

The commission’s market supervision area of activities has enjoyed significant growth, Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) chairman George Theocharides said on Monday following a meeting with the house finance committee. Theocharides said that in 2011, the commission was supervising fewer than 250 entities, while it now supervises approximately 800 entities, a 200 per cent rise.   Continue reading at source: Cyprus Read More

Cypriot economy buoyed by services and real estate

The Cypriot economy continued its recovery in December, carrying on with the trend of the two previous months, according to a report by the University of Cyprus Economic Research Centre released on Tuesday. The Cyprus Composite Leading Economic Index (CCLEI), which uses a variety of metrics to provide an early outlook on future economic activity, rose by 14.8 per cent year-on-year in December, reaching a level of 115.7 points overall.   According to the most up-to-date and revisited Read More

Anastasiades: Energy Plans Will Be Implemented In The Most Appropriate

Cyprus energy plans will be implemented in the most appropriate way in the best interest of its people, as well as of the other friendly cooperating countries, Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades said on Monday. In a written statement on the EastMed natural gas pipeline project, which would supply Europe with natural gas from the Eastern Mediterranean and the public debate on whether it is still an option, the President notes that the political will and decision of Greece, Israel and Cyprus Read More

Cyprus Not Just A Sun And Sea Destination, Deputy Minister Of Tourism Says

Cyprus is not just a sun and sea destination but it also offers many other authentic experiences visitors can choose from, including sports events such as L` Étape by Tour de France, Deputy Minister of Tourism, Savvas Perdios, said on Monday during an event to present his ministry’s work on repurposing the country’s tourism. The minister explained that his ministry has been working “incessantly” during the past 18 months, during the pandemic, to create the tourism products presented today, which Read More

Russia top foreign investment partner as Cyprus FDI remains positive

The Central Bank of Cyprus (CBC) announced on Wednesday that the country’s Foreign Direct Investment stock remained positive in 2020, despite registering a decrease over the FDI stock in 2019. “The importance of FDI in the economy of Cyprus is significant and has been increasing over the years,” the CBC said, while also referencing the OECD in saying that FDI is a “key driver of international economic integration”.   In terms of Cyprus’ net FDI stock, while this fell during Read More

Larnaca property sales hit €3bn in last 5 years

Property sales in the Larnaca district nearly reached €3 billion in value over the past five years, a report from independent real estate asset management and advisory firm WiRE has shown. The majority of property sales took place in the Larnaca municipality, where transactions reached €1.1 billion in value, representing 30 per cent of the entire district.   In the district’s three largest municipalities, Larnaca, Aradippou and Livadia, property sales exceeded €1.6 billion in value, while 9,600 transactions Read More

Revenue From Tourism Reaches pre-COVID Levels In October 2021

Revenue from tourism reached pre-COVID levels in October 2021 amounting to €310.2 million and marking an increase of 300.8% compared with October 2020 (€77,4 mn) and 3.6% compared with October 2019 (299.4 mn). October 2021 saw the largest inflow of tourists in Cyprus since the outbreak of the pandemic with 391,638 arrivals, according to Cyprus Statistical Service.   Continue reading at source: Gold Read More

We Aim At Increasing Private Investment In The Fields Of Research And Innovation, Mastroyiannopoulos Says

Chief Scientist for Research & Innovation of the Republic of Cyprus, Chairman of the board of directors of Research & Innovation Foundation Dr. Nikolaos Mastroyiannopoulos on Monday met with President Nicos Anastasiades to whom he presented the future action plan and the work that has been done the past two years.   Continue reading at source: Gold Read More

Savvas Perdios: Cyprus’ full tourism sector rebound by 2024

Deputy Minister of Tourism Savvas Perdios expects tourism to start fully rebounding in 2022 after arrivals in 2021 increased a healthy 175% over a dismal 2020 and return to pre-pandemic levels by 2024. Perdios also told Philenews the Mediterranean island nation recorded almost two million traveler arrivals last year, about 50% fewer than in a record-setting 2019. And that tourism is expected to return to pre-pandemic levels by 2024.   Continue reading at source: Read More

Economic Sentiment In Cyprus Up In December Due To Services, Construction And Industry

In December 2021, economic sentiment in Cyprus improved as the Economic Sentiment Indicator (ESI-CypERC) increased by 2.1 points compared with November 2021. According to a University of Cyprus’ press release the increase in the ESI-CypERC resulted from stronger business confidence in services, construction and industry. The increase in the Services Confidence Indicator was mainly driven by upward revisions in demand expectations.   Continue reading at source: Gold Read More

Council wants to turn Cyprus into education and research centre

The Cyprus Economy and Competitiveness Council on Monday submitted a range of proposals for pursuing the growth and development of the tertiary education sector which would have many benefits for the country.  “There are significant prospects for the further improvement of Cyprus’ position as an international higher education centre,” the council said. While it was difficult to accurately calculate universities’ contribution to the country’s GDP, there were other benefits, apart from student tuition and accommodation fees, such as the upgrading Read More

Paphos property sales hit €2.5bn in last 5 years

Property sales in Paphos district exceeded €2.5 billion in value over the past five years, a report from independent real estate asset management and advisory firm WiRE has revealed. The lion’s share of the sales took place in the Paphos and Peyia municipalities, with the two being responsible for property sales totalling €2.2 billion in value.       Continue reading at source: Cyprus Read More

Eurostat Cyprus among the countries with the largest reduction of energy consumption in 2020

Cyprus was one of the countries where the largest reduction in both primary as well as final energy consumption was recorded, according to data released by Eurostat, the EU’s statistical office. When comparing with the 2017-2019 average, primary energy consumption decreased in all EU Member States, mainly due to restrictions imposed to limit the spread of COVID-19.   Continue reading at source: Read More

2022 State Budget Linked With Reforms, FinMin Says

The Cyprus House of Representatives, on Friday evening, approved the state budget for 2022 with 30 votes in favour and 25 against. Minister of Finance Constantinos Petrides said after the voting that the 2022 state budget is one for sustainable growth, green transition and a social state, highlighting the fact that this is the first budget approved by the House that is actually linked with reforms. The budget provides for €9.7 billion in revenues and €9.9 billion in Read More

GOLD Magazine December Issue: The Directory Of Foreign Investment In Cyprus

The December issue of GOLD magazine lists 500+ Cyprus companies with international shareholders. Foreign investment has played a major role in transforming Cyprus into a modern and cosmopolitan business centre. In many instances, such investment takes the form of companies registered and operating in Cyprus, that have either been created by non-Cypriots or have received foreign investment, thus enhancing the business environment of the island, and promoting it as an international, robust, vibrant business hub. This unique directory was compiled Read More

FinMin Showcases Cyprus’ Prospects In A Roundtable Event In Dubai

Finance Minister Constantinos Petrides outlined the state of play and the prospects of the Cypriot economy before a select audience of foreign businesspeople and investors in an event titled «Roundtable with the Government of Cyprus», held in Dubai on Sunday. According to a press release issued by the Cyprus Investment Promotion Agency (Invest Cyprus) the mission, headed by Petrides was held as part of the strategy to promote Cyprus as a business gateway to Europe in the wider region of Read More

Cypriot And Israeli Officials Discuss Possible Extension Of Cyprus-Greece Ferry Link To Israel

Israel welcomes Cyprus' efforts to reinstate the Cyprus-Greece maritime passenger link and the possibility of extending the connection to Israel. According to a press release by the Deputy Ministry of Shipping, in a recent online meeting, the Israeli Minister of Transport and Road Safety, Merav Michaeli and the Deputy Minister of Shipping of Cyprus, Vassilis Demetriades, reaffirmed the excellent relations between Israel and Cyprus in the field of maritime transport, pointing out that they will be further strengthened for the Read More

Importance of 5G, Fiber Optics for Cyprus’ digital transformation highlighted

The importance of 5G and Fiber Optics for Cyprus` digital transformation was highlighted Tuesday, during a hybrid Conference that took place in Nicosia titled “5G & Fiber Optics: The way that leads Cyprus to Industry 4.0!”. The Conference was organized by Infocom Cyprus, in the framework of an online 3-day technological festival by Smart Com & Smart Press. The Conference hosted various thematic debates on infrastructures, connectivity, ecosystem and investments as well as the population`s expertise with keynote speakers Read More

Limassol property sales hit €6.3bn in last 5 years

Property sales across three major Limassol municipalities exceeded €6.3 billion in value over the past five years, a report from independent real estate asset management and advisory firm WiRE has shown. The sales took place in the Limassol, Germasogeia and Agios Athanasios municipalities and were the total value of more than 14,000 transactions.   Meanwhile, property sales across Cyprus neared a whopping €30 billion in value with more than 100,000 sales taking place over the past five years.   Read More

Cyprus Supports European Deposit Insurance Scheme Creation, FinMin Told ECOFIN Meeting

Finance Minister Constantinos Petrides reiterated that Cyprus supports the completion of the banking union during Tuesday’s meeting of the Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN) taking place in Brussels. During the discussion that followed a presentation by the Slovenian Presidency of a progress report on measures to strengthen the banking union, Petrides said that Cyprus supports the completion of the process, including the adoption of the proposal on a European deposit insurance scheme which will protect European depositors, as well Read More

Cabinet Approves The Licensing Of Block 5 To ExxonMobil & Qatar Petroleum Consortium

The Council of Ministers approved on Thursday the licensing of block 5 of the Cyprus EEZ to the of ExxonMobil Exploration and Production Cyprus Limited and Qatar Petroleum International Upstream LLC consortium. In statements after the Cabinet meeting, Energy, Commerce and Industry Minister Natasa Pilides said ExxonMobil will be the operator with a 60% participation while Qatar Petroleum International Upstream O.P.C. will have a 40 percent interest.   Continue reading at source: Gold Read More

China And Cyprus To Elevate Relations To A Strategic Partnership

Cyprus and China have issued a joint statement on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations after the Presidents of the two countries agreed to elevate relations to a Strategic Partnership, creating the conditions for very fruitful cooperation in the political, social and economic areas. An official press release noted “that in the eve of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the People`s Republic of China and the Republic of Cyprus, Read More

Building Cyprus Into A Tech Hub

The technology sector can become the new mainstay of the Cypriot economy and offer high-level career opportunities to our country's youth. These are some of the key conclusions that emerged from the findings of a survey conducted last October by IMR/University of Nicosia™ on behalf of the non-profit organisation TechIsland. The purpose of the survey was to explore the citizens’ views and perceptions regarding the impact of the sector on Cyprus’ economy compared to other sectors, the prospect of Cyprus Read More

Transport Minister Unveils Schemes To Promote Low-Carbon And Electric Vehicles Purchase

Cyprus Minister of Transport, Communications and Works Yiannis Karousos presented on Thursday the government subsidy schemes for the purchase of low – carbon or electric vehicles, stating that the aim is for 36,000 electric vehicles to be registered by the end of 2030. Speaking during a press conference, the Minister said Cyprus’ national target is for 25% of new vehicle registrations to be electric by 2030 with the ultimate goal that all cars registered by 2035 will be electric. He Read More

Minister Of Interior Showcases Cyprus’s Comparative Advantages For Investors In London

Minister of Interior Nicos Nouris has invited the international investment and business community to choose Cyprus, stating that the country’s government has “a clear vision on how to develop business”, with the aim to establish Cyprus “as a prosperous, reliable and competitive destination, keen on providing the conditions under which any investor can thrive.” As the keynote speaker at an international business conference in London on Tuesday, titled ‘Business Orientation: Cyprus 2021’,  Nouris presented the comparative advantages that Cyprus Read More

Infocredit Group: Sustainability And Optimism

The Cypriot economy is expected to find itself on a safer path than it did during the previous decades.  Infocredit Group has shifted its focus towards sustainable development while maintaining a positive outlook for 2030. Increased Competition, Technological Progress, Energy Costs, The Availability Of Finance And Uncertainty About The Future Are The Main Long-Term Challenges Facing Cypriot Businesses.   DYNAMISM AND FLEXIBILITY Cyprus has rightly been described as one of the countries with the greatest potential for growth, with 2030 Read More

Cyprus IT services market value surpassed €100 million this decade

The Cypriot IT services market exceeded €100 million in total value this decade, reaching €113.16 million in value during the previous year, a rise of 12.8 per cent since 2018, according to a report by market intelligence firm International Data Corporation (IDC). The IDC analysis report, titled Cyprus ICT 2021-2023 Forecast and 2020 Analysis, was released earlier this year and was sponsored by the Cyprus Computer Society (CCS).       Continue reading at source: Cyprus Read More

Digital marketing and mountain tourism the focus for 2022 says minister

The deputy ministry for tourism’s budget for 2022 focuses on six main areas, deputy minister Savvas Perdios said while presenting his ministry’s budget to the House finance committee on Monday. Marking an increase from 2021’s budget of €45.7 million, the deputy ministry’s budget for the coming year amounts to €53.7 million, to be split up among six main areas. Firstly, Perdios said the finance ministry has approved a grant of €5 million that will go to developing digital Read More

Grant Schemes Worth €130 Million To Boost Sustainable Development To Be Announced In 2022

Energy, Commerce and Industry Minister Natasa Pilides said on Friday that in 2022 efforts will focus on providing incentives to boost sustainable development, through digitization and transition to green economy, by allocating €130 million in grants. Addressing the General Assembly of the Famagusta Chamber of Commerce and Industry (EBEA), which took place on Friday afternoon in Ayia Napa, Pilides said that the Ministry is devising a grants scheme of €130 million euro to be announced in 2022 to support industries Read More

LNG import terminal a ‘transformational project’ for Cyprus

The LNG import terminal project would be transformational for Cyprus said Symeon Kassianides, the chairman of the Natural Gas Public Company (DEFA), said on Thursday at the Eastern Mediterranean Energy Conference being held in Nicosia, “This project will lift Cyprus’ energy isolation and reduce the country’s reliance on oil,” Kassianides said, adding: “It’s a transformational project for the country, it will lead to lower electricity costs, new technological developments and create jobs.”       Continue reading at source: Read More

Bars and restaurants in tourist areas working at 50 per cent capacity

Bars, cafés and restaurants that cater primarily to tourists are running at about 50 per cent capacity, and despite a decrease there are calls for them to remain open, they said on Monday. Head of the association of recreation centres (Osika) Neophytos Thrasyvoulou said that due to the number of flights arriving at the island’s airports – and an expected week of sunshine – the businesses should remain open.   He said most are looking at staying open until the Read More

Cypriot Businesses Expect An Economic Recovery In 2022, A European Survey Indicates

Businesses are expecting an economic recovery in 2022, despite downcast predictions in a 2021 survey, according to the conclusions of a pan-european Economic study on the business climate in Europe for 2022. It said 33% of Cypriot businesses are more optimistic for 2022. According to a press release issued by the Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry, more than 52 thousand companies from 26 European countries took part in the survey performed by European chambers.   Continue reading at source: Read More

Tourism industry hopeful for winter visits

But it all comes down to air connectivity and airlines keeping winter flights in place October was this year’s best month by far for tourism as hotels experienced their highest occupancy rate with an overall increase of around 20 per cent, according to the Paphos branch of the hoteliers’ association. The first weeks of November are also looking promising, according to industry professionals. “October numbers were close to those of October 2019 and going forward the first days of November Read More

Ministers From Cyprus, Israel, Egypt, Greece & Palestine To Join Ministerial Panel At EMC 2021 Energy

Ministers from Cyprus, Israel, Egypt, Greece and Palestine will meet in Nicosia next week to discuss unlocking cleaner energy for the region and for Europe. The Eastern Mediterranean Energy Conference and Exhibition will take place in Nicosia, Cyprus, from 10 ‐ 12 November 2021.  Joining Natasa Pilides, Minister of Energy, Commerce & Industry will be Costas Skrekas, Minister of the Environment and Energy, Hellenic Republic of Greece, Tarek El Molla, Minister of Energy & Natural Resources, Arab Republic of Egypt, Karine Elharrar, Read More

Foreign Investment At The Centre Of Presidential Palace Roundtable Event

One hundred foreign companies/investors based in Cyprus are on Friday being invited to learn more about the government’s plans to further encourage foreign businesses to operate or expand their activities here. Specifically, the new strategy prepared and first presented by the Minister of Finance, Constantinos Petrides, on October 15, is being put before the 100 foreign companies/investors in the context of a round table discussion entitled «Roundtable with the Government of Cyprus: Foreign Investors Discuss with the Government of Cyprus Read More

Cyprus Shipping Has Proved Resilient Amidst The Covid Pandemic, DepMin Says

The Cypriot shipping industry has proved resilient amidst the Covid pandemic, Deputy Minister for Shipping Vassilis Demetriades has said. Presenting the Deputy Ministry’s budget for 2022 to the parliamentary committee of Finance and Budgetary Affairs Demetriades said both the shipping registry and the shipping companies registered in Cyprus have registered growth during the pandemic. He noted that the Cypriot registry numbers more than 1,000 ocean-going vessels out of 1,750 ships with total tonnage close to 25 million, for the first Read More

Hermes Airports: October Records The Highest Passenger Traffic Of 2021

October 2021 records the highest passenger traffic of the year for both Larnaka and Pafos airports. Specifically, the numbers recorded for both departing and arriving passengers reached to a total of 951,820 passengers (Larnaka Airport: 619,501 - Pafos Airport: 332,319) compared to 867,097 passengers recorded in August 2021 - traditionally considered the peak period of a year. This is a positive outcome, given that since last year, travel has been in general standstill due to the pandemic.   Continue reading Read More

Cyprus economy growth prospects better than previously thought

The Cypriot economy is expected to grow more than previously expected according to a report by the University of Cyprus Economic Research Centre. According to the report, Cyprus’ real GDP growth is now estimated to be 5.4 per cent for 2021, while growth is estimated to reach 4.1 per cent in 2022.   Both figures have been revised upwards from previous estimates, with the revision being attributed to the Cypriot economy performing strongly in the second quarter of Read More

Minister Of Agriculture Says 133 Investments And Reforms To Radically Change The Image Of Cyprus

Cyprus, with a budget of 1.2 billion euros from the Recovery and Resilience Plan, will finance a total of 133 investments and reforms by 2026, that will address long-term weaknesses and radically change the image of the country, Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, Costas Kadis, said on Friday, during an Environmental Awards ceremony held in Nicosia.   Continue reading at source: Gold Read More

DBRS Morningstar Changes Trend On Cyprus To Positive, Confirms At BBB low

DBRS Morningstar confirmed Cyprus’s Long-Term Foreign and Local Currency – Issuer Ratings at BBB (low) and changed the trend to Positive from Stable. At the same time, DBRS Morningstar confirmed Cyprus’s Short-Term Foreign and Local Currency – Issuer Ratings at R-2 (middle) and changed the trend to Positive from Stable. The credit rating agency said that the Positive trend reflected its expectation that Cyprus’s public debt ratio “will most likely return to its pre-pandemic downward path, starting this year, underpinned Read More

Cyprus economic indicators stayed positive in September

Boosted by elevated business activity and the tourism sector, the Cypriot economy remains on a path of growth and recovery according to a report by the University of Cyprus Economic Research Centre. Cyprus’ Composite Leading Economic Index (CCLEI), which uses a variety of metrics to provide an early outlook on future economic activity, increased by 11.3 per cent year-on-year in September.   This continues a positive trend seen in August and July, where the CCLEI index grew 10.8 Read More

Tourist Arrivals In Cyprus Up By 153.7% Annually In First Nine Months Of 2021

Tourist arrivals in Cyprus were up by 153.7% on annual basis in the first nine months of this year, while still down by 60.1% compared to 2019, data released by the Cyprus Statistical Service (CyStat) on Wednesday show. According to a press release published on CyStat`s website, the arrivals of tourists reached 339,242 in September 2021, recording an increase of 288.4% compared to September 2020 (during which 87,334 arrivals were recorded), and a decrease of 35.3% Read More

Shipping Minister explains strategic vision

Vasilis Demetriades, Deputy Minister of Shipping, is explaining the government’s strategic vision for Cypriot shipping. He said that new facts are making the sector even more resilient through targeted actions and approaches. He noted that the target is to make Cyprus an important and strong player in forming the shipping policy with positive influence on global shipping issues and an attractive shipping hub aiming at viable growth. The Sea Change 2030 is the strategic vision expressing a change o view, Read More

Cyprus Aspires To Become A Regional Hub For Science And Technology Companies

Cyprus is already on the technological map and aspires to become a regional hub for science and technology companies, said Deputy Minister of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy Kyriacos Kokkinos, calling on start-uppers to believe in themselves and demand from the state what they deserve. Kokkinos was addressing the opening ceremony of the three-day technology festival "Reflect 2021", which began in Limassol, with the participation of more than three thousand people from Cyprus and abroad and 80 speakers from around Read More

Winter tourism to rely primarily on scheduled flights minister says

Cyprus will be counting on scheduled flights for incoming tourism in the winter months, as uncertainty created by the Covid pandemic continues to discourage tour operators from chartering aircraft for tourism, Tourism Minister Savvas Perdios said on Thursday. Speaking to the Cyprus News Agency from Munich, the minister said concerns over a potential surge in infections in the winter months prevented tour operators from taking the risk of organising chartered flights.   “Consequently, this winter and perhaps until March, the Read More

President Anastasiades Pledges Full Support To Shipping Industry

The Government will continue to offer its full support to shipping and through its national strategy, will continue to further consolidate collaboration between the Deputy Ministry of Shipping and the shipping industry to effectively respond to the needs of the sector, pledged here on Monday President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nicos Anastasiades. He made the remarks during his address at the `Sea Change 2030` conference held at the Presidential Palace where the government’s Long-Term Strategy for Cyprus shipping, crafted Read More

Cyprus Welcomes OECD Tax Deal On Global Minimum Tax Rate

Cyprus welcomes the agreement reached by the G20 on October 8th 2021, marking the long-term efforts to create fair and healthy competition at global level and to safeguard the tax bases and public revenues of the economies. In a press release the Finance Ministry says that Cyprus is not in a position to take part in the global consultations that take place at this level, since it is not a member of the OECD nor of the Inclusive Framework due Read More

Cyprus Moves From Recovery To Growth Phase, Finmin Says Highlighting Need For Reforms

Cyprus has moved from the recovery to the growth phase as the COVID-19 pandemic subsides, Minister of Finance Constantinos Petrides has said, highlighting the need for the implementation of reforms that would boost the economy’s sustainable growth prospects. Speaking during an online conference organised by the National Betting Authority, Petrides said that sustainable growth will be achieved through the implementation of reforms and not just by the inflow of EU funds via the Recovery and Resilience Fund.   Continue reading Read More

Stargazing: a role for astro-tourism in Cyprus

By Annette Chrysostomou Who has not marvelled at the stars in the sky? Those who have seen them on a clear night will certainly want to see more, and those who haven’t are in for a great treat. Astro-tourism is the new travel trend, whereby tourists can hike by day and stargaze by night. The experience is at its best in the great outdoors where the light pollution of our towns and cities doesn’t obscure the stars.   A project Read More

Metropolis Mall one of many projects to elevate Larnaca

The new Metropolis Mall in Larnaca helped the city during its construction phase by employing an estimated 1,000 people throughout the entire process. Having recently opened its doors to the public, the new shopping centre continues to benefit the city. “We are being supported by the city of Larnaca since this is one of the projects that will help elevate the city,” Creative Strategist and Communications Consultant Marilena Palazi told the Cyprus Mail, explaining how there is a concerted effort to upgrade Read More

DP World Limassol: Return Of Cruising Fuels Economic Recovery

Cruise ship arrivals almost doubled this year compared to 2020, with bookings for next year already racing ahead of 2021 As tourism continues to feel the impact of the pandemic for a second year, cruising is making a comeback in Cyprus and other parts of the world. On this World Tourism Day, DP World Limassol reiterates its commitment to further bolster the country’s cruise industry and turn the Limassol port into a top cruise hub in the Eastern Mediterranean. Before Read More

Larnaca projects will put town ‘on tourist map’

The construction of hotels and the completion of other projects, including the redevelopment of the old oil refineries area in Larnaca will place the district on the country’s tourist map, mayor Andreas Vyras said on Monday. The mayor, who is also the vice president of the Larnaca Tourism Development and Promotion Company (ETAP), was speaking at a press conference on the occasion of the World Tourism Day.   “Tourism in Larnaca this year was mediocre, but better than last year,” Read More

Petrides: Cyprus To Move From COVID Support Measures To Recovery

The 2022 state budget will be characterized with the transition from COVID support measures to economic recovery, Finance Minister Constatntinos Petrides has said, as Minister of Labour, Zeta Emilianidou said Covid-19 income support measures will be abolished in October. In statements on Saturday, Petrides said that the state budget of 2020 and partly of 2021 featured measures to support employment and the real economy due to the COVID pandemic, and these measures have yielded results.   Continue reading at source: Read More

Fitch Affirms Cyprus’ Long-Term Credit Rating At BBB- Maintaining Stable Outlook

International rating agency Fitch has affirmed Cyprus long-term credit rating at BBB- maintain a stable outlook, noting that Cyprus` institutional strength and its record of robust economic growth and sound fiscal policy prior to the Covid-19 pandemic are balanced by balance-sheet weaknesses, in particular high public debt, and a weak banking sector. The agency forecasts a real GDP growth of 4.8% in 2021, partly due to strong base effects, and a gradual normalisation of growth rates in 2022 and Read More

Cyprus House Plenary Votes For The Opening Of The Electricity Market

The Plenary Session of the Parliament on Thursday unanimously passed three bills for the opening of the competitive electricity market, following years of discussions and postponements and after an EU warning. The laws include the 2021 Bill for the regulation of the electricity market, the law for the establishment and operation of the Cyprus Energy Regulatory Authority and the Law on the Regulation of the natural gas market.   Continue reading at source: Gold Read More

Building Permits In First Half Of 2021 Mark Significant Recovery

Building permits issued in the first half of 2021 marked significant recovery compared with the Covid-hit first half of last year, while exceeding the respective levels of the first half of 2019, according to data released by the Statistical Service of Cyprus (Cystat). According to Cystat, during the period January – June 2021, 3.990 building permits were issued compared to 3,153 in the corresponding period of the previous year, recording an increase of 26.5%. The total value of Read More

World Tourism Day 2021 Theme Coincides With National Tourism Strategy

The 2021 World Tourism Day theme titled “Tourism for Inclusive Growth” coincides with Cyprus’ 2030 National Strategy for Tourism, Deputy Ministry for Tourism has said in a press release issued on the occasion of the World Tourism Day celebrated on September 27.  On the occasion of the World Tourism Day 2021, the UN World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) called its member-states as well as non-members, sister UN agencies, businesses and individuals “to celebrate tourism’s unique ability to ensure that nobody is Read More

Investments In The Pipeline For Green Hydrogen Production

The private sector in Cyprus is set to invest in green hydrogen production to fuel transport and industry.  In an interview with the Cyprus News Agency (CNA), Makis Ketonis, Chairman of the Cyprus Hydrogen Association, which was founded last March under the umbrella of the Cyprus Employers and Industrialists Federation (OEB), underlined the advantages of using green hydrogen, a harmless alternative fuel that is much safer than natural gas, gasoline and oil. Ketonis stressed that it is one of Read More

CI: Cyprus’ Sovereign Ratings Affirmed And Outlook Revised to Positive

Rating Action Capital Intelligence Ratings (CI Ratings or CI) announced that it has affirmed the Republic of Cyprus’ Long-Term Foreign Currency Rating (LT FCR) and Short-Term Foreign Currency Rating (ST FCR) at ‘BB+’ and ‘B’, respectively. The Outlook for the ratings has been revised to Positive from Stable. Rating Rationale The revision of the outlook reflects strong prospects of recovery from the adverse impact of Covid-19 with real GDP returning to solid growth, tourism recovering faster than expected, and the Read More

Cyprus-Egypt To Proceed With ‘Aphrodite’ Natural Gas Transfer Study

Technical Committees from Cyprus and Egypt agreed on Wednesday to proceed with a study concerning the transfer of natural gas from the “Aphrodite” reservoir, in Cyprus’ exclusive economic block 12, to an Egyptian Liquefaction Plant. Representatives from both countries, who met in Cairo, included five officials from Cyprus’ Energy Ministry and the Cyprus Hydrocarbons Company (CHC), as well as officials from Egypt’s Ministry of Petroleum and the Egyptian Hydrocarbon Company.   Continue reading at source: Gold Read More

TechIsland Congratulates Winners of 9th International Investment Awards

Cyprus’s technology sector is showing its potential, thanks to its potent blend of international technology companies that have chosen Cyprus as their home, and innovative indigenous firms. It is with a great feeling of appreciation, watching the International Investment Awards which took place at the Cyprus Presidential Palace, where 6 Companies received an award for their recognition of their significant contribution to the Cypriot economy. It is highlighted that out of the 6 companies receiving awards, the 5 are technology Read More

Karousos: Larnaca Port and Marina Is Cyprus’ Biggest Ever Project

The Larnaca Port and Marina project, amounting to 1.2 billion is the island’s largest infrastructure project of its kind, announced Transport, Communications and Works Minister Yiannis Karousos. The Minister made the remarks during his visit to Larnaca Port where he was informed on the Master Plan and the progress in the joint port and marina development. It is a project that the President of the Republic announced and is a priority, the Minister said, noting that it will benefit Read More

Government Will Continue Supporting Economic Activity, FinMin Says

The government will continue supporting economic activity so that after the pandemic is over, positive growth rates that existed before will return, Finance Minister Constantinos Petrides said on Saturday. In a written statement, Petrides refers to the affirmation on Friday by Standard & Poor’s international credit agency of Cyprus’ credit rating from stable to positive, confirming its credit rating of BBB-. According to the Minister, the S&P notes that its decision to revise its outlook on Cyprus to positive from Read More

Invest Cyprus Hospitality projects forge ahead on the island

Invest Cyprus sponsored The International Hospitality Investment Forum (IHIF), the leading annual conference for the global hotel industry which was hosted in Berlin from 1st – 3rd September. George Campanellas, CEO of Invest Cyprus hosted an interactive roundtable discussion during the IHIF with guest speakers Christophe de Bruyn, CEO of THR Innovative Tourism Advisors, and Mattias Innocenti, Director of Development for Southern Europe at ACCOR. The discussion focused on the hospitality investment market in Cyprus and opportunities for investors.       Read More

From ‘no market’ to 800 companies, outgoing CySEC president says

The Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) presented its annual report for the previous year to the President of the Republic of Cyprus Nicos Anastasiades. The presentation of the report was conducted by CySEC president Demetra Kalogerou and took place on Friday, September 3, at the presidential palace in Nicosia.   “We had a good year [in 2020]. We provided licenses to eighty new companies, and imposed fines of €3 million in total on violating companies, including for issues pertaining Read More

Energy Minister Satisfied With Cairo Energy Meetings

The technical committee that is working on the preparations for a joint gas pipeline project between Cyprus and Egypt will convene on 15th September, according to a statement released on Sunday by the office of the Minister of Energy, Commerce and Industry, Natasa Pelides. The minister said she was very satisfied with her meetings in the Egyptian capital on Saturday. The Energy Ministers of Cyprus and Egypt also decided on Saturday to sign a Memorandum of Understanding for the electricity Read More

Passenger Traffic Shows Signs Of Recovery, Hermes Says

It points out that despite the reluctance of a significant portion of the population to travel abroad and the complicated control procedures at airports, this year 50 airlines flew from Cyprus, compared to 70 in 2019, while most of them will continue to fly to Cyprus during the winter months. Furthermore, it notes that in the first eight months of 2021 passenger traffic was 2,511,239, (33% of the same period in 2019), which demonstrates that we still have a long Read More

GDP Growth At 12.9% In The Second Quarter Of 2021

Cyprus GDP growth rate in real terms is estimated at 12.9% for the second quarter of 2021, based on seasonally and working day adjusted data, according to data released Wednesday by the Statistical Service of Cyprus. The GDP growth rate in real terms during the second quarter of 2021 is positive and it is estimated at 12.8% over the corresponding quarter of 2020, before the adjustments.   Continue reading at source: Gold Read More

Pilidou: Resumption Of Exploratory Drillings In Cyprus EEZ At Final Stage Of Preparation

The Energy Ministry is at the final stage of preparations for the resumption of exploratory drillings in the Exclusive Economic Zone of Cyprus (EEZ), said on Tuesday the Minister of Energy, Trade and Industry Natasa Pilidou.  Replying to journalists’ questions in the Parliament, Pilidou said that specific dates have been set, with the ExxonMobil - Qatar Petroleum consortium starting with the first drilling around the end of November - beginning of December, depending on when the drilling rig will reach Read More

Cyprus Business Now

The new revised Master Plan for the unified development of the Port and Marina of Larnaca was presented on Wednesday, in a project that will create more than 4,000 jobs. The presentation was made by the CEO of Kition Panos Alexandrou and the Greek and Spanish Designers of the Project.   A highly functional port along with a modern marina which will accommodate more than 800 boats of all sizes will be created.       Continue reading at source: Cyprus Read More

Cyprus Among The Top States In Absorbing EU Cohesion Funds

Cyprus is among the top EU Member States with regards to the absorption of funds from the EU Cohesion Funds, according to official European Commission statistics (August 2021). The Ministry of Finance announced that Cyprus continues to be among the first EU Member States in the absorbing of Cohesion Funds, adding that the money became available for the sectors of entrepreneurship, employment, energy, information technology, research and innovation, environment, transport, urban development, education and strengthening of social cohesion.   Continue Read More

Tourist arrivals in July reached almost 300,000

The arrivals of tourists reached 297,308 in July 2021, recording an increase of 358 per cent compared with July 2020, during which 64,914 arrivals were recorded. However, this July marked a decrease of 46 per cent compared with July 2019 when there were 550,971 arrivals.   For the period of January – July 2021, arrivals of tourists totalled 638,292 compared with 320,589 in the corresponding period of 2020, an increase of 99.1 per cent, and a decrease of 70. Read More

Economy expected to grow over 5% in 2021

The economy is expected to grow by more than 5.5 per cent in 2021, Finance Minister Constantinos Petrides said on Tuesday, as preliminary estimates showed a 12.9 per cent year-on-year growth in the second quarter of the year. In a written statement following the preliminary result published by the statistical service, the minister said the Q2 rate was markedly better than expected, signalling higher full year growth than forecasted.       Continue reading at source: Cyprus Read More

Limassol business “not as gloomy” as last year, report shows

Business in Limassol is better this year by Kyriacos Nicolaou and Andrew Rosenbaum   Business in Limassol is “not as gloomy” this year as it was in 2020, according to a survey of businesses in the city. But it is still not back to 2019 levels. The services sector seems to be thriving despite everything, according to the report. The “BarometerSpring 2021” survey, which queried 133 businesses in Limassol – and which therefore obtained a solid representative view – showed Read More

Larnaca port and marina redevelopment to return handsomely

The redevelopment of the Larnaca port and marina is expected to generate billions in revenue, Kition Ocean Holdings CEO Panos Alexandrou said in a press release on Wednesday. Moreover, the port and marina rejuvenation and expansion will create thousands of new jobs, estimated to surpass 4,000 in number. The hiring process is already underway.   According to the statement, initial estimates suggest that revenues from the project will amount to €19.6 billion. This figure would make the project one Read More

Cyprus continues to partner with UK for business services, despite Brexit – Baker Tilly Cyprus

“Despite Brexit, despite the pandemic, the export of business services from Cyprus to the UK seem to have continued at a normal rate,” says Marios Klitou, CEO of Baker Tilly Cyprus Looking at the numbers this year, there would not seem to be much impact. But on the other hand, we have to say that despite of the pandemic and despite Brexit, business carries on.   But in transport, in construction, financial services, we see that the levels are okay. Read More

Savvas Perdios: Tourist Arrivals in August Expected to Be Slightly Better Than June

Tourist arrivals in August are expected to range in the same levels with July but are expected to be slightly better than June, according to Deputy Tourism Minister Savvas Perdios. He also said that the two main markets from Russia and Britain are beginning to show signs of movement with Russia steadily escalating. In remarks after the opening ceremony of the MUSAN in Ayia Napa, Perdios said that June was the first month which enabled us to “see some light Read More

Pilides: Infrastructure and Natural Gas Supply Process to Be Concluded by End of 2022

Minister of Energy, Commerce and Industry Natasa Pilides said on Thursday that Cyprus` main goal is the completion, by the end of 2022, of the infrastructure development project and the natural gas supply process in the domestic market of Cyprus for energy  generation. Addressing an event by the Cyprus Electricity Authority, the Minister welcomed the fact that the EAC has signed an agreement with the Natural Gas Public Company (DEFA) and paid 43 million euro for its participation in the share Read More

Making the business case for data centres in Cyprus

“Overseas companies, for example, show great interest in Cyprus data centres, because Cyprus is part of the European Union, and thus is under the regime of the General Data Protection Regulation.” Andros Karayiannis is an IT consultant who has worked in Cyprus and abroad for more than 50 years. There is interest in data centres in Cyprus from both users and investors, because everybody’s moving to the cloud,” Karayiannis notes.   “Overseas companies, for example, show great interest in Read More

Action Plan for Circular Economy

The Action Plan for the Circular Economy will have multiple benefits for the environment, the society and the economy, as it has been stressed in a press conference for the presentation of the Plan, provided by the Ministers of Energy and Agriculture, as well as the Deputy Minister of Research on Tuesday. The Action Plan approved by the Government has a total cost of €90 million and the prospects of the applications of the circular economy in industry and business Read More

Ministers present benefits of implementing the Action Plan for the Circular Economy

The Action Plan for the Circular Economy will have multiple benefits for the environment, the society and the economy, as it has been stressed in a Press Conference for the presentation of the Plan, provided by the Ministers of Energy and Agriculture, as well as the Deputy Minister of Research on Tuesday. The Action Plan approved by the Government has a total cost of €90 million and the prospects of the applications of the circular economy in industry and business Read More

ECOFIN to approve Cyprus’ €1.2 billion Recovery and Resilience Plan on Monday

The European Finance Ministers will approve Cyprus €1.2 billion Recovery and Resilience Plan in a scheduled videoconference to be held on Monday. The Cypriot plan is included in the second batch of national recovery and resilience plans approved by the European Commission and are scheduled to be approved by ECOFIN.   Continue reading at source: Read More

Eurogroup President praises Cyprus’ “impressive recovery”

Pascal Donohoe praised Cyprus’ “impressive recovery” from the coronavirus outbreak in 2020, stressing that this performance was the result of good national policies coupled with good decisions taken on a European Union level. In his first visit since the coronavirus outbreak, Donohe visited Cyprus on Thursday and met with Minister of Finance Constantinos Petrides who stated that by early 2022 Cyprus could recover most if not all of the ground lost during the pandemic.   Continue reading at source: Gold Read More

Finance Minister Outlines “Vision 2035,” Cyprus' Long-Term Strategy For Sustainable Growth

The Finance Ministry outlined its “Vision 2035”, the long-term strategy for a sustainable growth model for Cyprus underpinned by green growth and digitisation. Addressing an online conference, Finance Minister Constantinos Petrides said the long-term Strategy “should be embraced by the community as a whole as it concerns not only the Finance Ministry and the government but is a collective effort.” Petrides said this central planning is the first since the 1974 Turkish invasion when the World Bank prepared a Read More

Tourist Arrivals in June 2021 Record Annual Increase

A total of 184,159 tourist arrivals were recorded in June 2021, compared to 9,119 in June 2020, a period during which measures were implemented to prevent the spread of the coronavirus pandemic(COVID-19) in Cyprus, according to the Statistical Service of Cyprus.  To this end, there was an entry ban on several categories of persons, including tourists, up to 8/6/2020. Compared to June 2019 (509,662 arrivals were recorded), there was a decrease of 63,9%.   Continue reading at source: Gold Read More

CΗC President: Cyprus is in a Transitional Phase Towards a More Sustainable and Cleaner Energy Future

Cyprus is in a transitional phase towards a more sustainable and cleaner energy future, Toula Onoufriou, President of the Cyprus Hydrocarbons Company told CNA, noting it is the company’s obligation for Cyprus to become a supplier of cleaner energy in the region and beyond. Referring to international prices, Onoufriou said that the repercussions of policies for energy transition and abandoning carbon emissions will significantly affect the natural gas market. However, she expressed the view that natural gas, which is the Read More

220 hotels all across Cyprus participate in “Subsidised Summer Holidays Plan”

The Deputy Ministry for Tourism on Tuesday released the list of 220 hotels all across Cyprus participating in the “Subsidised Summer Holidays Plan” for the period of July 15 to August 31. The Plan includes Tourist Accommodation and Tourist Agents affiliated with legal tourist accommodation providers. These provide accommodation from July 15 to August 31 at the maximum price of 80 euros daily (including VAT) for a double room with breakfast. The minimum stay is three nights.   Continue reading Read More

Cypriot Finance Minister to Take Part in Eurogroup and ECOFIN Meetings

Finance Minister Constantinos Petrides departed for Brussels to take part in the Eurogroup meeting to take place on Monday and the ECOFIN meeting today. At the Eurogroup, Finance Ministers will exchange views on the international dimension of euro area economic and financial policies with Janet Yellen, the United States Secretary of the Treasury. The discussion is expected to focus on the economic recovery as well as on banking and financial stability issues.   Continue reading at source: Gold Read More

EU Commission forecasts sharply higher Cyprus growth in 2021

The European Commission has raised its forecast for Cyprus’ economic growth in 2021 to 4.3 per cent from 3..8 per cent in its previous forecast. This brings Cyprus closer into line with the latest forecast for both the EU and the euro Area of 4.8 per cent for this year.   The EU Commission Summer Economic forecast for 2021 insists on a strong rebound in Cyprus:     Continue reading at source: Cyprus Read More

Tourism Minister: Cyprus tourism is seeing comprehensive upgrade thanks to investment

“Investment in Cyprus tourism will be socially immersive – this means that it will benefit the whole island,” Cyprus Deputy Minister for Tourism Savas Perdios told the Invest Cyprus Tourism and Hospitality International Investment Summit. “In the past, Cyprus tourism has been concentrated at 75 per cent for sun and sea tourists. We wish to change this to 60 per cent, with 40 per cent targeting other destinations and activities.”   This will lead to a comprehensive upgrade, he Read More

“Subsidised Summer Vacation Program” to boost tourism industry, speed up inoculation process

A government-provided “Subsidised Summer Vacation Program” aims to give a much-needed ‘injection’ to the Mediterranean island’s tourism industry which is confronted with yet another covid-hit disastrous summer season. Details of the program, which will run from July 15 till the end of August, were announced on Monday by the Deputy Ministry of Tourism.   Continue reading at source: Read More

Cyprus attracts registration of new investment funds technology companies despite pandemic

Although the coronavirus pandemic has slowed down Cyprus’ economy which is highly dependent on tourism, the Mediterranean island did attract formidable foreign investment over the past 15 months. Specifically, from newly-registered investment funds and technology companies which helped reduce the island’s economic recession to 5.1% in 2020 compared to other Mediterranean countries whose average was 8.5%.   Continue reading at source: Read More

Plan to make Cyprus an ICT hub – Ministry official

“Our vision is to create a sustainable growth environment that is driven by research, innovation, and technological advancement. This means creating a new incentives framework for science and technology companies. And this framework consists of four pillars: The institutional environment, access to human capital, upgrading our infrastructure, and of course, building brand Cyprus as a favorite destination for science and tech companies,” Stelios D. Himonas, permanent secretary at the Deputy Ministry for Research, Innovation and Digital Policy, in a speech Read More

Minister says Government aims to facilitate Limassol growth

Minister of Energy, Commerce and Industry Natasa Pilides has pledged that the government’s aim is to further enhance Limassol’s growth and to facilitate developments that will push the city to reach its full potential in all areas. In a recorded address at the «Limassol Business & Investment Summit», held in Limassol, she said there is a distinct and increased interest in relocating and creating company presence in Limassol. We believe, she added, that this is only going to increase because Read More

Cyprus And Greece Intensify Their Cooperation In The Cruise Sector

Cyprus and Greece are strengthening their cooperation in the tourism sector, giving special emphasis on the promotion of cruises, Deputy Ministers of Tourism of the two countries, Savvas Perdios and Sofia Zacharaki have said. The two Deputy Ministers, together with the Cypriot Deputy Minister of Shipping, Vassilis Demeriades, the President of the Democratic Rally ( DISY) ruling party, Averof Neophytou, and the President of the Cyprus Hotels Association for Limassol, Charis Theocharous, boarded on Wednesday the cruise ship `Jewel of Read More

Deposits Rise, Liquidity At €17 Billion In May

Deposits in the Cyprus banking system registered a net increase for a second consecutive month in May amounting close to €49 billion. According to the Central Bank of Cyprus, loans declined for a second month in a row in May amounting to €31.3 billion, while liquidity in the system stood at €17.4 billion. Total deposits in May recorded a net (not including changes resulting from reclassifications, exchange rate and other adjustments) increase of €330.1 million, compared with Read More

Finance Minister: Development Spending Up Despite The Pandemic Crisis

Despite the pandemic crisis the government has increased the development spending to boost the recovery, Finance Minister Constantinos Petrides has said. Speaking Saturday evening during the inauguration of the 1st phase of the reconstruction and revamping of a central avenue at the Municipality of Ypsonas, Limassol, the Minister said that this project was delayed because of the financial crisis of 2012-13, adding that due to prudent financial management, not only have we not cut the budget in development projects, but Read More

Cyprus To Privatise Stock Exchange By End-2022

Cyprus' Finance Minister Constantinos Petrides said on Wednesday the government is considering tax incentives to encourage companies to enter the Cyprus Stock Exchange (CSE), adding that the CSE’s strategic planning provides for privatising the Cypriot stock market by the end of 2022. Petrides met today with a delegation of the CSE headed by its Board Chairman, Marinos Christodoulides who said that a consulting firm will be selected in two weeks as the advisor for the privatisation process, adding that the Read More

Hermes Airports Participates In The European Campaign “Destination Summer”

Hermes Airports supports the collective campaign for the safe reopening of European Borders and the easing of travel restrictions across Europe, with other tourism industry associations. The Destination Summer campaign’s goal is working with European Union and national policymakers to adopt a harmonised approach for the lifting of travel restrictions – enabling the safe and smooth resumption of free movement for European citizens. The stakeholders participating in the campaign are: Airlines For Europe (A4E), Airports Council International Europe (ACI EUROPE), Read More

Cyprus and Israel have a close relationship that leads to good business — Israeli Ambassador

“Israelis’ cultural affinity with Cypriots is growing and developing, and this supports business collaboration just as much as deals and shared technology,” the Israeli Ambassador to Cyprus Shmuel Revel points out. “Israeli investors feel very good about working with their colleagues and businesses in Cyrus. There is a definite feel-good factor and that is a very important thing,” he adds.   For the Ambassador, it’s noteworthy that here in Cyprus, Israel received important support from both the government and private Read More

GDP and Employment Decline In The Euro Area, Rise In Cyprus In Q1 2021

GDP and employment recorded a decline in the euro area, whereas they increased in Cyprus in the first quarter of 2021. Seasonally adjusted GDP decreased by 0.3% in the euro area and by 0.1% in the EU in the first quarter of 2021, compared with the previous quarter, but increased in Cyprus by 2.0% and in Greece by 4.4%, according to an estimate published by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union. These declines follow Read More

Shipping Deputy Minister Expresses Cyprus' Support To Blue Economy

Cyprus` Shipping Deputy Minister Vassilios Demetriades, expressed the country`s intention to support and contribute to the reinforcement of a sustainable and ambitious blue economy. Demetriades, who represented Cyprus at the EU Ministerial Meeting on issues related to the Integrated Maritime Policy also informed his counterparts about the work being done with a view to implement in Cyprus a national Integrated Maritime Policy and a Maritime Spatial Planning, which constitutes a basic tool for blue development.   Continue reading at source: Read More

Hellenic Bank: Ongoing Resilience And Well Positioned To Support The Economy

The Group's Financial Results for the three-month period which ended 31 March 2021, show the robustness of Hellenic Bank and the resilience of its business model. Highlights: 1Q2021 Profit after tax of €12,9 million 1Q2021 Profit before impairment losses of €22,9 million Strong Capital Position: CET1 ratio of 20,20% and Capital adequacy ratio of 22,54%, significantly above minimum regulatory requirements which for 2021 are set at 9,55% and 14,45% respectively A significantly de-risked balance sheet: NPEs ratio to gross loans Read More

Deputy Minister Stresses Catalytic Role Of Digital Transition In Economic Recovery

Deputy Minister for Research, Innovation and Digital Policy, Kyriakos Kokkinos, has stressed the catalytic role of digital transition in the efforts to achieve a viable and resilient European economy, as well as an open and inclusive society. The Deputy Minister was speaking at the EU Digital Assembly, that took place 1-2 of June.   Continue reading at source: Gold Read More

More Than €1 Billion To Be Allocated In 5 Years For Speedy Transition To A Green Economy

More than €1 billion will be allocated in Cyprus during the next five years for a speedy transition to a Green Economy. Ministers of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, Costas Kadis, Energy, Commerce and Industry, Natasa Pilides and Transport, Communications and Works, Yiannis Karousos, presented on Monday, during a press conference, the policies, reforms and projects included in the National Recovery and Resilience Plan that are related to the speedy transition to a Green Economy.   Continue reading at source: Read More

Good deals as state support helps hotels slash prices

Hotels hope to entice domestic tourism with prices capped at €60   Hotels in Cyprus are enticing permanent residents to holiday at home this year with an incentive scheme that caps bed and breakfast prices at €60 per night, even at participating five-star accommodation. The scheme was initially earmarked to conclude at the end of May but has been extended, Philokypros Roussounides, director general of the Cyprus Hoteliers’ Association, informed the Sunday Mail this week.   Continue reading at source: Read More

Cyprus government will continue to support business, workers – Ministers

The Cypriot government will continue public support to business as economic activity gradually returns to normal conditions, Finance Minister Constantinos Petrides and Labour Minister Zeta Eimilianidou declared on Saturday. Speaking to the press, Petrides said the two Ministries are assessing the situation following the restart of the economy as Cyprus exited a two-week lockdown in early May.   Continue reading at source: Cyprus Read More

Pilides Presents A €30 Million Scheme To Support New Entrepreneurship

Minister of Energy, Commerce and Industry Natasa Pilides revealed on Tuesday a new grants scheme aiming to strengthen new entrepreneurship amounting to €30 million. Speaking during a press conference, Pilides said that in the last four months the Ministry launched schemes amounting to €121 million, noting that grants will reach €166 million by the end of 2021 from a total of €450 million in the programme period of 2021-2027. “The government’s ultimate goal is to support businesses in concrete terms, Read More

‘Multiple benefits from cruises and port services’

Officials on Sunday welcomed the decision by cruise lines to include Cyprus in their summer programmes and use port services, which, they said, is a giant boost to the country’s tourism product and economy. The minister of transport, along with the deputy ministers for tourism and shipping, the head of Pasyxe hoteliers’ association and Disy leader Averof Neophytou visited in the morning the Royal Caribbean’s ‘Odyssey of the Seas’, which is currently at the Limassol port. The vessel, which was Read More

Cyprus Recovery plan to create 15,000 jobs

The Cyprus National Recovery and Resilience Plan is expected to create about 15,000 jobs, according to a preliminary review by the University of Cyprus. The plan, which allocates EU funds of €1.25 billion, is also expected to increase GDP by 2.8 per cent by 2026, according to the report.   A full description of how the plan will work is expected from finance minister Constantinos Petrides in May. The minster is to give a press conference which will Read More

Technical Chamber submits proposals for mountainous Troodos region’s rejuvenation

A package of measures and proposals submitted by the Cyprus Technical Chamber (ETEK) before the Town Planning Department aim towards the rejuvenation of mountainous Troodos region, Philenews reports. ETEK’s head Constantinos Constantis said it is about time rural decline is reversed, and this is something that needs more than just the support of its inhabitants. In fact, bold measures are needed and this is what the Chamber aimed at through its proposals.   Continue reading at source: Read More

EU Unveils Plans For Overseas Tourists To Return

The EU Commission has recommended easing restrictions on non-essential travel from overseas. Under the plans, anyone who has received the last dose of an EU-approved vaccine at least two weeks beforehand will be permitted to travel. "Time to revive EU tourism industry and for cross-border friendships to rekindle - safely," EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen tweeted.   Continue reading at source: Gold Read More

Limassol Leads The Way In The Real Estate Market

Limassol continues to be the most important real estate market in Cyprus, and this is supported by all available information: sales, rentals and prices. Contrary to popular opinion, the Limassol real estate market is not showing signs of saturation, and despite existing issues and occasional fluctuations, it continues to be dynamic. The repeal of the Cyprus Citizen by Investment Programme, for example, has had an evident effect, yet interest for high-end properties in Limassol has not completely disappeared, with real estate companies Read More

Cyprus 4.0: Why Limassol is the Cyprus hub for online business

Limassol  is composed of 4 elements, according to cultural historian Prof. Mimis Sofocleous:  Ochre: because all houses were once painted in this colour; The mandolin, which with the guitar, created the music of the Serenaders, the melodies of carnival songs, the sound of the city; Commandaria: The smell of Commandaria is the perfume that filled the streets of Limassol for centuries; Limassolians: The soul, the city’s wings are those who listen to the city’s call and fill it with their creative Read More

Cyprus 4.0: Cyprus pursues regional leadership in online business

by Invest Cyprus The worldwide shift towards e-commerce and online services amid lockdowns and other Covid restrictions is likely to continue as economies open up in the post-pandemic era, and Cyprus is well positioned to become a regional driver of online business.   The island’s growing digital economy, investment-friendly business environment and proximity to European, African and Middle Eastern markets are creating optimal conditions for foreign and domestic online businesses to flourish. Local internet penetration stands at 89 per cent, the pandemic acting Read More

Cyprus Vision 2035: A plan to build a resilient economy

Cyprus Vision 2035: A plan to build a resilient economy Plans by Sector:   Agritech: Create co-operatives, combine resources, Institute of Agriculture to guide creation of a technology base for shared use, optimization of water resources.   Ecommerce: Government will support improvements in infrastructure and aid small companies to compete in the global market created by the web.       Continue reading at source: Cyprus Read More

CCLEI: Lifting Of Restrictive Measures Contributes To Domestic Economic Growth

The Cyprus Composite Leading Economic Index (CCLEI) (1) recorded a year-over-year decrease of 0.1% in March 2021 (2) reaching a level of 103.4, after the year-over-year reductions of 4.8% in February and 5.1% in January (based on the latest and revised data). The recovery of the CCLEI in March 2021 reflects the extensive vaccination campaigns and the gradual lifting of the restrictive measures against the COVID-19 pandemic, which have helped to form improved economic growth expectations Read More

Cyprus Real Estate and Construction sector contributed 17% of GVA in 2020, despite Covid

Despite the disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic the Real Estate and Construction sector in Cyprus contributed 17% to the country’s Gross Value Added during 2020. And this despite the additional disruption later in the year by the Cyprus Investment Programme (CIP) termination as of November 2020. This is what PwC’s Cyprus Real Estate Market – Year in Review 2020 which was released over the weekend shows.   Continue reading at source: Read More

Cyprus copper is high grade, and rich in the Troodos — Venus Minerals chief

Venus Minerals has started diamond drilling in the Troodos, and this means that Cyprus will soon be able to take advantage of the rising demand for copper. “Cyprus can play a large part in this market,” commented Peter van der Borgh, managing director of Venus Minerals, a Cyprus-based mining and exploration company in operation for 15 years.   “Based on diamond drilling in combination with today’s computing technologies, we’re able to model these resources quite precisely and do some fairly accurate estimations of Read More

Food, clothes and footwear prices up during pandemic, while fuel and electricity prices plunge

The coronavirus pandemic in Cyprus has boosted food, clothing and footwear prices, while prices of fuel, electricity and Internet services have fallen. According to infographics prepared by the Statistical Service of Cyprus, one year after the appearance of the coronavirus in Cyprus in the categories Food (excluding fresh fruits and vegetables) and Fast Food, a small increase in prices was observed during the first period of comparison, while afterwards the prices remained stable.   Continue reading at source: Read More

Cyprus President Hopeful That Economic Activity Could Resume By End Of Spring

President of Cyprus, Nicos Anastasiades, said on Wednesday that he was hopeful that economic activity could resume by the end of Spring, given that no unpredicted developments arise on the part of pharmaceutical companies. This will be done by safeguarding citizens’ health and the health system, and in a bid to save the economy, he said during a meeting, at the Presidential Palace, with the members of the scientific advisory team for COVID-19. Addressing the members of the team, on Read More

Andreas Assiotis: Ecompet Model To Turn Cyprus Into European Business Hub

Cyprus Economy and Competitiveness Council (Ecompet) proposed a long-term strategy for a sustainable economic growth envisaging to turn Cyprus as “Europe’s Sustainable Business and Trading Hub,” and to secure sustainable long-term growth through widening its productive base. Andreas Assiotis, member of Ecompet, chairman of the Council’s steering committee for the long-term strategy and Hellenic Bank’s chief economist, told CNA the strategy “highlights the need to strengthen the country’s productive model on the basis of a complete development of the primary Read More

French Corporate Giants In Cyprus

For the last twenty years, French corporate giants, have trusted the development of the Cypriot economy, thus choosing the island as the place to invest. These investments have supported – and continue to do so-  some of the largest projects of the island, such as the energy program and the upgrade of the country's airports, based on European standards. InBusinessNews presents the greatest investments by French companies that took place in Cyprus in recent years.   Continue reading at source: Read More

Ryanair to resume flights from April, expands schedule from Cyprus this summer

Ryanair is to resume flights to and from Cyprus from April. This summer will be a ‘win-win’ for Ryanair working with Hermes Airports, Maria Kouroupi, senior manager Aviation Development, Marketing and Communication, announced at a webinar on Wednesday.   “This will be one of the industry’s major success stories,” agreed Ryanair’s Director of Digital & Marketing Dara Brady. “Ryanair is committed to getting Cyprus tourism back on track.”       Continue reading at source: Cyprus Mail   Read More

Coronavirus: Tourism stakeholders cautiously optimistic for growth

A cautiously optimistic picture of the coming months was painted by stakeholders taking part in a conference on the restart of the tourism industry on Tuesday with the consensus that there is still room for recovery from last year disastrous figures. The conference, Cyprus Hospitality Industry 2021: Restarting Roadmap, brought together hotel owners’ association (Pasyxe) director general Philokypros Roussounides and chairman Haris Loizides, Deputy Tourism Minister Savvas Perdios, Transport Minister Yiannis Karousos and Hermes airports communications director Maria Kouroupi.   Read More

Shipping ministry not given up on ferry link to Greece

Deputy Shipping Minister Vassilis Demetriades said on Tuesday the government had not given up on establishing a ferry link with Greece and was hoping the European Commission would allow better terms that would attract an investor after no bidders showed an interest in the original contract. Demetriades told the Cyprus News Agency that in about a month’s time he was either going to announce a new tender or the project would be abandoned if there was no positive response from Read More

Cyprus hoteliers getting ready to welcome locals as well as mainly Israeli visitors

Hoteliers in Cyprus are getting ready to welcome travellers without quarantine starting Thursday, April 1, but they also call on the government to allow locals to stay at hotels. The message sent is that those ‘daring’ to open in April are depending mainly on Cypriots making a booking, as well as on Israelis with a coronavirus ‘green pass’, according to Philenews.   Continue reading at source: Read More

Anastasiades: Development Projects And Vaccinations To Kickstart The Economy

Development projects and tackling the pandemic through the vaccination programme will boost the economic recovery to 2019 growth rate levels, Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades has said. On Saturday the President toured three major infrastructures projects, underway in Limassol, namely the city’s new football stadium in Kolossi, new housing projects of the Cyprus Land Development Corporation in Pano Polemidia and the integrated Casino Resort in Zakaki.   Continue reading at source: Gold Read More

Savvas Perdios: Ayia Napa Marina Key For Year-Round Tourism

Ayia Napa Marina is a true "adornment" in the Mediterranean and will upgrade to a great extent Famagusta district and the island`s tourism, Deputy Minister of Tourism Savvas Perdios and Transport Minister Yiannis Karousos said. Perdios in his statements said that the Marina will turn Famagusta region to an all year round destination adding that so far the project contributed to the employment of 800 persons and with its full operation an additional number of 500 employees will be hired. Read More

Cyprus gas could get green EU label and funds

The European Union plans to label some gas power plants as sustainable investments, a draft document seen by Reuters showed, after an initial proposal to deny them a green label faced a backlash from some member states. Cyprus is planning to step up gas production and to  develop its LNG terminal at Vasilikos where  the first gas deliveries are scheduled for 2022. The Commission’s new proposal, shared with EU countries on Saturday, would class gas-fuelled plants that generate power plus Read More

Cyprus makes strides in becoming a technology hub

For the first time, a comprehensive effort is underway to make the island a technology hub   Cyprus is framing a comprehensive, holistic policy to compete as a technology hub, Invest Cyprus chief executive George Campenellas told the Cyprus Mail in an interview. “We need to make international ICT companies and their workers see beyond tax incentives and similar,” Campanellas insists. “We need to make them feel that Cyprus adds value in every respect as a choice of location.” Read More

Cyprus To Recover in Second Half Of 2021, Say CI Ratings

According to a press release by Capital Intelligence Ratings (CI Ratings), the economy of Cyprus is expected to recover in the second half of 2021 and that the economic and fiscal disruption caused by the pandemic will dissipate over the forecast horizon. CI Ratings has affirmed Cyprus’ Long-Term Foreign Currency Rating (LT FCR) and Short-Term Foreign Currency Rating (ST FCR) at ‘BB+’ and ‘B’, respectively. At the same time, the Outlook for the ratings was affirmed as Stable.   Continue Read More

ECOMPET Council Links Study For Long-Term Growth Model With National Resilience And Recovery Plan

The Economic and Competitiveness Council (ECOMPET) has expedited certain actions of its strategy for Cyprus’ long-term growth model in a bid to utilise grants of the EU’s pandemic Resilience and Recovery Facility, the Council’s Chairman Takis Clerides has said. Clerides was speaking on Thursday after a meeting with ruling party Democratic Rally President Averof Neofytou, in the context of a second round of contacts with political parties and stake-holders over the Council's study concerning Cyprus' future economic growth model. Clerides Read More

Coronavirus: Hotels in Larnaca to be ready for second half of the year

Hotels in Larnaca will be ready to operate in June, hoteliers’ association (Pasyxe) representative for the district Ioanna Florentiadou said on Thursday. The tourism sector suffered losses of up to 85 per cent in the past year as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, Florentiadou told the Cyprus News Agency. “Sadly, 2021 is shaping up to be an equally difficult time, although it is expected that tourist traffic will show some movement around the end of June,” with booking beginning Read More

Cyprus to see return of Russian tourists in April

Russian tourists are expected to be welcome in Cyprus as of April 1, according to sources close to the deputy ministry of tourism.   Phillip Orphanides contributed to this article.   Tourism operators have begun to take bookings on the expectation, as travel operators expect Russia to relax its own current restrictions to travel to Cyprus.   “We are booking on the basis of the expected relaxation of restrictions on Russian travel from both sides in April,” comments Vasilis Pavlou, Read More

Investment Funds Are An Important Pillar Of The Cypriot Economy

At the peak of the financial crisis in Cyprus, the decision to promote the investment funds sector has proven to be particularly successful within a short time frame. Within a span of five years, Cyprus has attracted a significant amount of Collective and Alternative Investment Funds. Today, the total assets under management within the Cyprus investment funds sector have exceeded the amount of €8 billion. The benefits generated from the licensing of Investment Funds affect the economy as a whole: Read More

Savvas Perdios: Conditions For Summer Season Stability Are Set

Following the decisions by the government to open the country for tourism for both EU and non-EU citizens as of April 1, Cyprus has provided stability for tourist companies, tour operators and air carriers for the upcoming summer tourist season, Deputy Minister for Tourism Savvas Perdios has told CNA. Speaking to the Cyprus News Agency following a meeting under the President of the Republic with the Association of Hoteliers and the Ministers of Finance, Labour, Transport and Health and the Read More

Pomos actively promoted by tourism board

Pomos has now joined forces with the Paphos regional board of tourism with the aim of upgrading its tourist facilities and welcoming more visitors to the area. “In the context of implementing strategic goals for strengthening and further development of the district, the Paphos regional board of tourism has recently expanded its forces with the inclusion of the community of Pomos,” it announced.   The Paphos regional board of tourism is collaborating with the ministry of tourism, three municipalities, seven Read More

Commission Approves €200 Million Cypriot Schemes

The European Commission has approved two Cypriot schemes, with a total budget of €200 million, to support companies and self-employed that had to suspend their activities due to the restrictions that the government had to impose to limit the spread of the coronavirus. The Commission found that the two schemes are in line with the conditions set out in the Temporary Framework. The Commission concluded that the two measures are necessary, appropriate and proportionate to remedy a serious disturbance in Read More

Savvas Perdios To Have Intensive Consultations With Travel Organizers

Cyprus Deputy Minister for Tourism Savvas Perdios is set to have intensive consultations with travel organizers and airlines in March, following the announcement of the decision of Cyprus to allow the arrival from May 1, of tourists from Britain who will be fully vaccinated against Covid-19. The travellers won’t need to have a COVID-19 negative test or to go in quarantine. In a written statement, Perdios expressed his satisfaction over the great publicity given to Britain on the issue.   Read More

Cyprus is one of the most successful shipping states, says IMO chief

The IMO chief has described Cyprus as one of the most successful shipping states with a significant contribution to global shipping, according to Shipping Deputy Minister Vassilios Demetriades. Demetriades held an online meeting late on Wednesday with Secretary General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Kitack Lim with whom he discussed about the global shipping industry and the challenges it faces. A press release also said Lim praised Cyprus` constructive stance and active participation in the deliberations of the International Read More

City Of Dreams Mediterranean Advances To Open In Summer 2022

City of Dreams Mediterranean, Cyprus’ first integrated resort (IR) and the biggest in Europe and the wider region, is advancing well towards completion. Construction is progressing smoothly, with the IR being set to open in Summer 2022. The development of the project is now available for viewing through impressive aerial drone footage produced by City of Dreams Mediterranean. The video offers an overview of the IR’s exterior and surroundings, reflecting the rapid advancement of the main construction, along with renderings Read More

Tourism DepMin Welcomes Royal Caribbean's Decision To Include Cyprus In Its Routes

Cyprus Deputy Ministry for Tourism welcomed world-renowned cruise ships company, Royal Caribbean's decision to incorporate Cyprus among its destinations during June – August 2021, utilising a brand-new ship, to be delivered shortly. In a press release issued today, the Deputy Ministry said the new course departs from Israel and will dock in Cyprus and Greece before returning back to Israel. The ship is expected to dock in Cyprus approximately 15 times in the period June – August 2021 with a Read More

Action Plan For Resumption Of Flights

Cyprus’ action plan for the gradual resumption of flights and the re-opening of airports with additional security measures, enters into force on 1st March. According to a press release by the Ministry of Health, following the relevant decision of the Council of Ministers, the Epidemiological Surveillance Unit re-evaluated the epidemiological risk of the various countries regarding COVID-19 disease. From the first of March for the EU countries and the European Economic Area countries (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway) including Switzerland, the categorization Read More

A glimmer of hope for tourism in 2021

Cypriot hoteliers were hopeful on Tuesday that tourism would slowly recover this year after tour operators in the UK reported a surge of around 600 per cent in holiday bookings, with Cyprus among the top destinations. A slew of bookings for the island and other destinations were reported in the wake of UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s road map to exit lockdown and ease coronavirus restrictions on Monday evening. Reuters reported easyJet saying flight bookings from Britain jumped over 300 Read More

Savvas Perdios: Epidemiological Data Are At A Turning Point As Regards Tourism

The epidemiological data in Cyprus are at a turning point as regards tourism, Deputy Minister for Tourism Savvas Perdios has said, stressing that at a time when the whole of Europe is in the red category as far as the coronavirus is concerned, if Cyprus manages to move to the green category, that would have positive results for the country’s tourist industry in the summer. The Deputy Minister, who was speaking during an online discussion on "Tourism: Cyprus before the Read More

Tourism deal between Cyprus-Israel ‘a big achievement’, says Perdios

The deal signed between Israel and Cyprus on Sunday to allow Israelis and Cypriots who have been inoculated against covid-19 to travel between the two countries without having to quarantine is “a big achievement”. This is what Deputy Minister for Tourism Savvas Perdios told state radio on Monday after the deal was announced in Jerusalem by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Nicos Anastasiades.   Continue reading at source: Read More

Cyprus, Greece, Israel to try to finalise EuroAsia Interconnector MoU on Wednesday

Cyprus, Greece and Israel on Wednesday will try to finalise the Memorandum of Understanding the three countries will sign regarding the ambitious electricity EuroAsia Interconnector. This is what CNA reported, citing Energy Minister Natasa Pilides who also said that the MoU’s final details will be agreed during a scheduled teleconference.   Continue reading at source: Read More

Push to promote western Larnaca

Plans are underway to promote and develop businesses in western Larnaca, it was announced on Friday. The Larnaca and Famagusta district development agency prepared a strategic cooperation proposal for the promotion and development of the area, the head of the Environmental Information Centre of Larnaca Mountainous Area and a member of the development agency Anna Kosma told the Cyprus News Agency. “The aim is for all companies to participate in the effort to grow,” she added.   Continue reading at Read More

European Commission expects 3.2% & 3.1% growth for 2021-22 for Cyprus

The European Commission expects the economy of Cyprus to grow by 3.2% and 3.1% for 2021 and 2022 respectively, against a recession of 5.8% for 2020, according to its winter economic forecasts published today in Brussels. More specifically, the European Commission notes that “the real GDP rebounded strongly in the third quarter of 2020 (+9.4% compared to the second quarter)”, and “this rebound was driven by domestic demand, which was mainly underpinned by fiscal stimulus, while Read More

UNWTO GS Expresses Support For Cyprus' National Tourism Strategy

General Secretary of the World Tourism Organisation Zurab Pololikashvili has expressed the Organisation's support of Cyprus National Tourism Strategy during a ceremony in which he received the credentials of new Permanent Representative of Cyprus at the Organisation, Ambassador Helena Mina. According to an official press release, Pololikashvili welcomed the new Permanent Representative and wished her every success to her duties. The Cypriot Ambassador conveyed the greetings of President of Cyprus Nicos Anastasiades and Deputy Minister of Tourism Savvas Perdios and Read More

EU Includes Two More Cypriot Traditional Products In PGIs List

The European Union included on Wednesday two traditional Cypriot products produced in the village of Pitsillia (the sausage and lountza of Pitsillia) in the list of EU-protected geographic indications (PGIs). The Ministry of Agriculture of Cyprus has welcomed this development noting in a press release that this contributes to the further strengthening of the economy and local development, with the production of value-added products and the use of exclusively local wines and promotes the area of Pitsilia, and all its Read More

World Bank publishes Cyprus Institute study on green economic recovery

Green recovery measures, including energy upgrades of buildings, enhanced sustainable mobility and modernisation of the electricity grid, improve the quality of life and contribute to the country’s environmental upgrading, while bringing significant benefits to domestic economic development. This is evidenced by the results of a study by researchers at the Cyprus Institute on the post-Covid era, which are presented in a report published by the World Bank and summarised on its website and social media.   According to the research, Read More

Cyprus’s Aphrodite gas production can sell in Europe – Analyst

Cyprus’s Aphrodite gas field, located in located in Block 12 of Cyprus’s exclusive economic zone, and with reserves of 129 billion cubic metres, is expected to begin production in 2025. But will there be a market for Cyprus’s gas at that time?   We asked EY’s Simon Collier how best that production could be monetised, whether via pipeline to Europe or via other means.   The London-based Collier is Associate Partner in  the EY UK&I Energy Law team. He advises Read More

Coronavirus: Greece-Cyprus mull jab certificates for travellers

Tourism-dependent Greece and Cyprus discussed requesting vaccination certificates from travellers arriving in the two countries, Greek Prime Minister Kyriacos Mitsotakis said on Monday, following a meeting with President Nicos Anastasiades in Nicosia.  “We also discussed the matter of the vaccination certificate, how we can facilitate Europeans, as well as others, world travellers who would want to visit Greece and Cyprus,” Mitsotakis said. “And this is what we are asking from the EU, for the process to be standardised and easy, Read More

Tourism Trend Evident From Next June, PASYXE Director General Says

The tourism trend in Cyprus will be evident from June onwards and will also depend on the pandemic and epidemiological developments, Director General of Cyprus Hotels Association Filokypros Rousounides has told CNA. In statements to the Cyprus News Agency, on Friday, Rousounides also said that the country`s main concern is to keep our commitment regarding the approach followed in the categorisation of 56 countries from March 1. This is important, he said, because any deviation from the announcements made will Read More

Tourism to pick up this year but won't reach anything like 2019's peak

There will be no special treatment for people who have been vaccinated against Covid-19, Deputy Minister for Tourism Savvas Perdios said on Tuesday, stressing that the country is open to all who fulfil the entry criteria. The minister also said a rise was expected in tourist arrivals this year compared to 2020’s “tragic year” but they will reach nowhere near the numbers of 2019, when they island received around 3.9 million tourists. He was speaking at a press conference Read More

Minister presents new strategy aiming to support companies after pandemic

Minister of Energy, Commerce and Industry Natasa Pilides presented on Monday the Ministry`s new trade strategy,  saying that the Ministry has prepared a package of measures to address the challenges and restart of the economy after the pandemic. “With targeted measures and policies we are moving towards the goal for a sustainable economic growth in the post-pandemic era” she pointed out.   Continue reading at source: Read More

Constantinos Petrides: Cyprus Policy Priorities Remain The Same Despite The Pandemic

Despite the crisis of the Covid-19 pandemic Cyprus’ economic policies remain the same, targeting macroeconomic and financial stability, prudent fiscal policies, and establishing a competitive, business-friendly regulatory environment of high standards, Minister of Finance Constantinos Petrides said on Thursday. Addressing the virtual 5th International Investors Summit, organised by the Invest Cyprus, Petrides stressed that the government aims to fully utilising the €1 billion fund allocated to Cyrus by the EU Recovery and Resilience Fund to pursue “a new growth model based Read More

Cyprus, Greece, Israel, Bulgaria, Hungary And Serbia Express Support To EastMed Pipeline

Cyprus, Greece, Israel, Bulgaria, Hungary and Serbia have expressed their support to the EastMed pipeline in a joint statement issued by their Energy Ministers following a video conference, on Thursday. The six Ministers had the conference following an initiative by the Israeli Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz, with a view to enhancing energy cooperation and exploring the opportunities and advantages of the East Med Gas Pipeline, a Cyprus Energy Ministry press release says. In the joint statement, the Ministers “recognize the Read More

‘Cyprus can make the shift to software development, advanced technology’ — Universal Life CEO

“Cyprus has the capability to make the shift to a kind of Fourth Industrial Revolution orientation. A lot of emphasis in the past has been on things like accounting services, legal services, and that stems very much from the school system, the career  advisors, ones parents and the overall environment. In fact, Cyprus can refocus on technology, software development – advanced technology. I think Cyprus today has the capability to make that shift,” says Evan Gavas, CEO of insurer Universal Read More

Cyprus’ revised 2021 budget set to be approved on Thursday afternoon

Cyprus’ revised 2021 budget which is to be put anew to the vote before parliament on Thursday afternoon will most probably be approved, Philenews reports. To begin with, socialist Edek’s three votes which determine the outcome are to be positive, the party announced late on Wednesday.   Continue reading at source: Read More

Cyprus hopes to tap niche glamping tourism market

Cyprus hopes to tap a new niche market for tourists with luxury camping, or glamping, for which legislation is being drafted, deputy tourism minister Savvas Perdios said on Tuesday after briefing the House trade and tourism committee. He spoke of a new era in tourism because of growing interest in spending time in nature and said Cyprus could compete well, both as regards camping as we know it, and the new market – glamping.   Continue reading at source: Cyprus Read More

Minister outlines how €968m in EU funds will be spent

Finance Minister Constantinos Petrides on Wednesday unveiled the government’s plans to absorb €968 million in EU structural funds in the period of 2021-2027 with emphasis on the green economy, tackling social disparities and job creation. This is 30 per cent up on the previous seven-year period and, together with co-financing from national funds, means projects totaling €1.8 billion.   Petrides said that having managed to absorb all 100 per cent of EU funds available to it the previous period, Read More

Massive digital campaign to promote tourism planned for 2021

The tourism strategy for Cyprus in 2021 will mainly focus on digital advertising, the Deputy Minister of Toursim Savvas Perdios said on Wednesday. Speaking after a cabinet meeting, he said that the government is ready to launch the biggest digital campaign ever created in order to promote Cyprus abroad as a tourist destination. He also said that the short-term action plan for tourism in 2021 had to be reviewed due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, which has heavily affected the Read More

Ayia Napa hopes for tourism restart at end of May

Ayia Napa mayor Christos Zannetou said on Wednesday he expects the tourist season to start at the end of May. Speaking to the Cyprus News Agency, Zannetou said people working in the tourist industry in the Famagusta district all agree that the worldwide vaccination campaign against Covid-19 will start showing results in terms of number of arrivals sometime between June and July.   “Everyone working in the tourism industry is hoping for a successful vaccination campaign in order to reduce Read More

Pilides: Energy Licensed Companies Committed To Cyprus’ EEZ Despite Pandemic

Licensed energy companies in Cyprus' Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) remain committed to their program despite the abandonment of many projects worldwide due to the consequences of the pandemic, Minister of Energy, Trade and Industry Natasa Pilides said on Tuesday. Pilides briefed the Parliamentary Energy Committee on the Ministry`s plans on hydrocarbons exploration, the continuation of Cyprus' drilling program and the comprehensive planning for natural gas, as well as the actions of the Cyprus Hydrocarbons Company.   Continue reading at source: Read More

Cyprus Stands To Gain From Rising Demand For Copper

Copper is considered to be a major contributor to the global economy, with some going as far as to describe it as the backbone of the modern world. Because of its conductivity, pliability and durability, the red metal is used in everything from building materials to modern electronics, medical equipment, electric vehicles and renewable energy. The metal of the future According to recent studies, demand for the metal is expected to double over the next twenty years not least due Read More

Brexit will not affect flow of UK tourists to Cyprus

Brexit is not expected to affect tourist flow from the UK to Cyprus, at least not in terms of imposing travel obstacles, however the pandemic makes it impossible to make projections, according to the president of the Famagusta branch of the Pancyprian Hoteliers Association (Pasyxe) Doros Takkas. “From the information we have so far, tourist traffic from the UK to our island will not be affected,” he told the Cyprus News Agency on Monday.   Continue reading at source: Cyprus Read More

Central Bank Approves a New Loan Repayment Holiday Until June 2021

The board of Directors of the Central Bank of Cyprus approved a new loan repayment moratorium until the end of June. The new payment holiday, also approved by the Council of Ministers as part of support package to mitigate the impact of a new three-week lockdown to prevent the spread of covid-19, is extended to borrowers who did not utilize the 2020 payment holiday that ended in December 2020 as well as to borrowers who obtained a moratorium but didn’t Read More

Revised State Budget For 2021 Ready Sources Say

The revised state budget for 2021 is ready while Finance Ministry staff are reviewing the final touches on measures to support the economy and businesses affected by the measures to contain the Covid-19 pandemic, sources have told CNA. The House of Representatives plenary rejected the state budget for 2021 on December 17 last year. Following meetings at the Presidential Palace on Tuesday, the Ministries of Finance and Labour are looking into the adjustments which will be made on the measures to Read More

Pilides: Optimal Utilization Of Hydrocarbons And Clean Energy Among Our Strategic Goals

Minister of Energy Natasa Pilides said on Tuesday that the optimal utilization of hydrocarbons and the transition to clean energy are among the strategic goals of Cyprus. In her speech, at the 8th Energy Symposium entitled `Time of truth for energy` the Minister of Energy said that the strategic goals include the optimal utilization of hydrocarbons in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of the Republic of Cyprus, ensuring the energy supply of Cyprus, the transition to the clean energy on Read More

Cyprus tourism saved by COVID vaccine

Hopes of reviving pandemic-battered Cyprus tourism in 2021 have been rekindled as mass vaccinations against COVID-19 get underway in the UK, the island’s largest market. Under normal circumstances, the UK supplies a third of annual tourist arrivals to Cyprus which reached a record 3.97 million in 2019.   Continue reading at source: Financial Read More

Petrides: Despite The Pandemic 2021 Budget Increased By €742 Million

Minister of Finance Constantinos Petrides said on Thursday that the 2021 state budget is increased by 742 million, or 10.6%, compared to the 2020 budget, despite the economic problems caused by the pandemic. Addressing the House of Representatives’ plenary, the Minister called upon the Parliament to vote in favor of the state budget 2021, saying that this would be to the best interest of the country and the society, especially in the midst of economic problems that the pandemic Read More

Pilides: Cyprus Industry Is Evolving And Needs Young People To Further Strengthen It

The Cyprus industry sector is evolving, growing and needs young people to further strengthen it, Minister of Energy, Commerce and Industry Natasa Pilides has said. The Minister, who was addressing an online event for professional careers in technical professions and industry, told the young audience that the Cyprus industry has the potential to grow  and what is needed is technically trained staff and skilled craftsmen, a need that will always exist.   Continue reading at source: Gold Read More

Cyprus, Greece and Jordan to further enhance cooperation, Trilateral Summit to take place in first half of 2021

Cyprus, Greece and Jordan have decided to further enhance their trilateral cooperation, which will cover, among other, defence and security issues as well as economic and trade cooperation. The next Trilateral Summit of their leaders will take place in Athens during the first six months of 2021.   Continue reading at source: Read More

Sustainable urban mobility plan for a Larnaca without cars

The government has taken up the idea of sustainable urban mobility plans (SUMP) and is launching a competition also for Larnaca – the island’s third biggest city, Philenews reported on Wednesday. The purpose of the competition is to develop and provide an SUMP for coastal Larnaca up until 2030 on the basis of internationally adopted principles. The vision includes the administrative urban boundaries of Larnaca Municipality plus those of Aradipou, Livadia, Dromolaxia-Meneou, Oroklini, Pyla, Kalo Horio, Kiti and Pervolia.   Read More

Transport ministry: €116m in development spending in 2021

Crucial infrastructure projects which are already underway or in the planning stage, will go forward in the new year, Transport minister Yiannis Karousos said Monday. He was speaking in parliament during a review of the transport ministry’s budget for 2021. The ministry’s balance sheet comes to €367 million in expenditures, with €268 million in anticipated revenues.   Continue reading at source: Cyprus Read More

Investments for development of Larnaka port and marina to exceed 1 billion euro

President of Cyprus Nicos Anastasiades said on Friday that the investments for the development of the port and marina of Larnaka will exceed one billion euro and will bring additional economic benefits and annual revenue of 120 million euro. “Today is a special and  important day for all people of Larnaka, since a justified request of almost three decades which concerns the development of the port and  marina of the city, is finally entering the path of its implementation” the Read More

Demetriades: Cyprus Shipping Proved Resilient Amidst The Covid-19 Crisis

The Cyprus shipping industry has proved resilient amidst the coronavirus pandemic and the aim is for the sector to grow even further in the future, Deputy Minister for shipping Vassilis Demetriades has said. Presenting the Deputy Ministry’s budget for 2021 to the parliamentary committee for finance and budgetary affairs, he said shipping has immense potential, noting that the approval of Cyprus’ tonnage tax system by the European Commission for the next ten years creates conditions of stability for the Cyprus Read More

€4.2m of state funds for ferry service to Greece

The deputy ministry of shipping will shell out €4.2 million of its 2021 budget on the proposed Cyprus-Greece ferry service, minister Vasilis Demetriou told MPs at the House finance committee on Monday. Discussing finances for 2021 amid the ongoing pandemic and its impact on the global economy, Demetriou said his ministry’s budget for next year was €14.5m, the same as it was for 2020, other than the inclusion of the €4.2m for the ferry service.   The Read More

Funds and ideas on the table for Nicosia centre’s rejuvenation

Nicosia centre needs to be rejuvenated and a number of plans have already been proposed by ministries and the municipality to achieve that goal, Philenews reported on Monday. For the implementation of all ambitious plans to start, the drafting of a competition to be announced by the Cyprus Technical Chamber starts this week.   Continue reading at source: Read More

Nikolas Mastroyiannopoulos: Smart And Green Cities In Cyprus Soon

Can research and innovation provide solutions to better serve the citizen and reduce pollution in cities? The answer is that in practice this does not seem to be too far away, as this goal seems to have been well on the agenda of European countries and Cyprus in particular. Developments are imminent, Chief Scientist for Research & Innovation Nikolas Mastroyiannopoulos has said in an interview with the Cyprus News Agency (CNA). "Smart and Green Cities" is the main theme of Read More

Cost Of Electricity To Be Reduced In 2022, RES Fee Must Be Revised, Pilides Says

The cost of electricity is expected to be reduced in 2022, as the market opens to competition and the project to bring natural gas is expected to be completed by the end of this year, Energy Minister Natasa Pilides said. Addressing the House Committee on Energy, the Minister said that money in the Renewable Energy Sources and Energy Conservation Fund is running short after 2022 with the existing RES fee, that was lowered to €0.5 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) in Read More

Foreign interest in Cyprus remains high despite scrapping of passports programme

Foreign investors’ interest in Cyprus remains robust despite the scrapping of the Citizenship-by-Investment (CBI) programme, MPs were assured on Tuesday. Legislators were discussing the potential fallout on foreign investment here after the government hurriedly nixed the CIB last month amid more revelations of impropriety. Over the years the CBI had brought in billions in foreign investment, primarily in real estate. But Cyprus’ programme drew scrutiny from the European Commission, which suggested the island was ‘selling’ European passports to foreign nationals Read More

Cyprus' Proposals For EU Recovery And Resilience Facility To Be Finalised Next Week

Cyprus’ plan of proposals to receive about €968 million of funding from the European Union Recovery and Resilience Facility - Next Generation EU will be finalised next week, according to CNA sources. The EU Fund aims at a sustainable recovery from the COVID-19 crisis, addressing the economic and social consequences, as well as at the long-term shielding of the member-states economies. The proposals have to do with investments and reforms in a wide range of policy areas for the years Read More

Revival in mountain village real estate

The pandemic has some positive benefits, which include the locals learning the beauty and attraction of our mountain resorts. This is especially so by the younger generation (age 20-30) who very rarely visited these resorts in the past, preferring to stay at beach hotels and establishments, the more affluent going on cruise holidays, especially the Greek islands, as well visiting other European countries. For the first time, we noticed during this summer so many young people visiting these resorts, with Read More

“Cyprus economy will recover to prepandemic levels next year” – Finance Minister

“Real growth rates at three per cent” “As of next year, Cyprus will return to pre-pandemic levels of economic normality. Over the next three years, we expect real growth rates to exceed on average 3 per  cent,” Cyprus Finance Minister  Konstantinos Petrides told an INVESTCYPRUS conference last week. On Friday, this forecast was supported by ratings agency DBRS which also offered a positive forecast for the coming year.     Continue reading at source: Cyprus Mail   Read More

Cyprus tourism eyes post-pandemic ad blitz

Provided there are signs of the coronavirus pandemic relenting in the near future, in turn giving rise to an uptick in air travel, the deputy ministry of tourism plans to roll out an online advertising blitz for Cyprus in early 2021, capturing as many eyeballs ahead of the next summer season. Speaking in parliament on Thursday, deputy minister of tourism Savvas Perdios said 2021 will be a year when tourist destinations will ‘fight it out’ for punters. The ministry has budgeted Read More

EC: €57 Million To Cyprus For Coronavirus Pandemic

The European Commission has approved the modification of the two operational programmes (OP) for Cyprus, which will release more than €57 million to help address the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on the country’s economy and health system. The OP ‘Employment, Human Resources and Social Cohesion’, co-funded by the European Social Fund, is reinforced with €36 million to finance short time work schemes for more than 68,800 workers in Cyprus. €21 million of European Regional Development Fund resources are reallocated Read More

Cyprus-Australia Business Association Established

The CCCI, in the context of its continuous effort to open new roads and prospects for Cypriot companies, announces the establishment of the Cyprus-Australia Business Association, with the ultimate goal of promoting, expanding and encouraging economic and trade relations between Cyprus and Australia.  Christos Vasiliou, Managing Director of KPMG Cyprus was elected the first President of the Association.    Continue reading at source: Gold Read More

Cyprus economy shows signs of hope despite the crisis — Economists

There were some clear indications of economic improvement in September and October of this year, according to a report released by the University of Cyprus Economic Research Centre on Monday. In particular, preliminary estimates indicate a year-on-year improvement in the volume of retail sales and electricity production in September and October 2020, as well as in the total number of sales contracts in September. In addition, credit card transactions show a year-on-year improvement.   Continue reading at source: Cyprus Read More

Pilides: Cyprus Seeks To Obtain Increased EU Funds For Businesses And Clean Energy

The significant increase funds obtained from EU funds both to support entrepreneurship and to promote alternative energy sources in Cyprus, is the focus of the Energy, Commerce and Industry Ministry’s budget for 2021, which was presented before the parliamentary committee on financial and budgetary affairs, on Thursday. Addressing MPs Energy Minister Natasa Pilides said that the budget includes projects for 2020, the implementation of which was delayed due to the pandemic, while grant schemes from structural and investment funds as Read More

Deposits Reach Six-Month High In September, Boosted By Debt Payment Holiday

Deposits in the Cyprus banking system amounted to €48 billion in September, reaching the highest point in the last six months, mainly due to the increase in deposits of non-financial corporations. According to data released by the Central Bank of Cyprus, adjusted for foreign currency exchange rates, total deposits in September 2020 recorded a net increase of €36.2 million, compared with a net increase of €366.5 million in August 2020. The annual growth rate stood at -0.6%, Read More

Finance minister calls on MPs to approve 2021 budget

Finance Minister Constantinos Petrides on Monday called on MPs to approve the state budget for next year, citing the need for the financial management of the pandemic and recovering from its impact. He was presenting the 2021 state budget to the House finance committee. Next year’s budget is €609 million or 8.7 per cent more than last year’s as the government seeks to enhance the budget’s social dimension, including emergency measures to support vulnerable groups, employees and companies, but Read More

Luxury travel ‘strategists’ choose Cyprus for innovative experiences

Travel strategists are choosing Cyprus as a source of new experiences for wealthy travelers. ‘We cater to travel experiences, not tourism’ – so say the latest luxury specialists in the industry, the so-called ‘travel strategists.’ They offer a range of cutting-edge ideas for these experiences: ‘Philantourism,’ ‘immersive experiences,’ ‘daycations,’ ‘at-home experiences’ – all of this and more is changing the way affluent consumers think about their vacations.   Continue reading at source: Cyprus Read More

Cyprus Drilling Program Is On Track, Energy Minister Says

Cyprus Minister of Energy, Commerce and Industry Natasa Pilides has said that Cyprus drilling program is on track, adding that meetings and contacts are underway. In statements in Paphos, during a visit at the local Commerce and Industry Chamber, Pilides said that the government will have on Wednesday meetings with TOTAL and ENI while there is continuous communication with Exxon Mobil as regards the drilling that is planned to take place in September - October 2021.      Continue Read More

Cyprus has Europe’s second-lowest inflation rate

Cyprus has the EU’s lowest annual inflation rate at -1.9% behind Greece with -2.3% with energy, housing and transport costs falling. In September the Harmonized Index of Consumer Prices (HICP) decreased by 1.9% from September 2019 while compared to August 2020, the HICP decreased by 0,8%.   Continue reading at source: Financial Read More

Tax incentives bring 5,000 top executives to Cyprus — PwC

Two tax bills being read in the Cyprus Parliament currently offer significant possibilities to bring talent to Cyprus, according to Antonis Christodoulides, PwC Partner, Tax Advisory, who says they have been quite successful. “These types of measures are a net gain to the local economy in general and the government budget in particular. They attract new taxpayers and help raise tax revenues that, in the absence of such programmes, the government would not have been able to raise. As both Read More

Cyprus Banks Better Placed To Face Covid-19, Says Bank of Cyprus CEO

Panicos Nicolaou, CEO of the Bank of Cyprus, the island’s largest lender assured that Cypriot banks will support the economy and economic activity, severely hit by the Covid-19 pandemic, stressing that the island’s banking sector is better placed to face the current downturn. Addressing the 4th Business Leaders Summit, Nicolaou said that businesses and the state alike should prepare for future technological changes “which are coming faster than we anticipated.” On the banking sector, Nicolaou acknowledged that the Cypriot Read More

Cyprus economy starts rebound, begins to shrug off tourism impact

An important economic index shows green shoots of recovery for the Cyprus economy. “The recovery of the Cyprus Composite Leading Index continues in August and September 2020 from the historically low levels of the crisis,” writes the University of Cyprus Economics Research Centre in a research note released on Wednesday. Similarly, the Economic Sentiment Indicator (ESI) in the euro area, including Cyprus, recorded an improvement in the third quarter of 2020.   Continue reading at source: Cyprus Read More

George Campanellas: Cyprus Economic Outlook & Investment Climate

George Campanellas, CEO, Invest Cyprus, spoke at the Invest Cyprus Roadshow UK about the Cyprus economic outlook and investment climate and pointed out that Invest Cyprus’ mission is to raise awareness of Cyprus as a location for FDI across the globe, providing certainty around all aspects of operating a business in Cyprus & supporting potential investors in developing their business case for investment in Cyprus.   Continue reading at source: Gold Read More

DP World Limassol: Cruises Can Boost Tourism In Rural Areas

Throughout the years, tourism has been a major lifeline and a leading employer for communities across Cyprus, keeping their economies afloat. On the occasion of World Tourism Day celebrations on 27 September, DP World Limassol, operator of the Multi-Purpose and the Cruise Terminals of the Limassol port, reiterates its ongoing commitment to boost the country’s cruise tourism sector. Every year, the World Tourism Day is celebrated with festivities led by the United Nations’ World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). This year’s theme Read More

Cyprus offers safe haven for Lebanese investors

Ever since the Lebanese civil war 1975-1990, Cyprus has been the refuge of many Lebanese. Proximity has always played a major role in the decision of every Lebanese to move out of his country. The hope of returning is always there for every immigrant! After the economic collapse started in October 2019, many investors are looking for a way out of Lebanon. And almost 1 out of 10 Lebanese you meet have considered Cyprus as a destination at least once. Read More

Signs of recovery in constructions in June, despite drop in the first half of 2020

A significant decrease in building permits was recorded in the first half of 2020, due to the restrictive measures against the spread of the coronavirus in Cyprus. However, data for June, published by CyStat, show signs of recovery. The number of building permits authorised by the municipal authorities and the district administration offices stood in June this year at 724, compared to 708 issued in the previous month and 573 issued in June 2019.   Continue reading at source: Read More

East Med Gas Forum could boost cross-border energy flow

By Dr. Charles Ellinas Egypt, Italy, Greece, Israel, Cyprus, Jordan and Palestinian Authority signed on Tuesday, through a teleconference, a charter turning the East Med Gas Forum (EMGF) into an international body. EMGF was originally founded in 2018 at the behest of Egypt, as part of its plans to turn the country into the gas hub of the region. The signing comes at a time of major regional disputes, ostensibly over gas exploration and Exclusive Economic Zone delineation in the Read More

East Med Gas Forum members sign statute officially establishing the regional forum

East Mediterranean Gas Forum (EMGF) members signed on Tuesday, during a ceremony held online, the statute establishing this regional intergovernmental forum. The founding members of the forum are Cyprus, Egypt, Greece, Israel, Italy, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority. Cyprus was represented by Energy, Commerce and Industry Minister Natasa Pilides, who in her speech noted that any country or organisation in the region who share the same principles could apply to join the Forum as long as all the founding members Read More

Attracting tourism to Cyprus post-Covid

With the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic expected to take a toll on tourism until 2023 or 2024 the deputy ministry of tourism on Monday made a number of suggestions to adapt the sector to the challenging times ahead, including placing more emphasis on nature. The article by the ministry was published ahead of September 27, World Tourism Day.   “This year will be a different Tourism Day, on which instead of achievements, we will refer more to the future Read More

Double-tax treaty with Russia ‘offers certainty’

On September 8, the Convention for the Avoidance of Double Taxation between the Republic of Cyprus and the Russian Federation was signed by Cyprus Finance Minister Constantinos Petrides and Russian Deputy Minister of Finance Alexey Sazanov. The signing followed a turbulent period of negotiations. Tax experts say that it is not likely to spark a major exodus of Russian companies from Cyprus, as many had feared. The advantages Cyprus offers to these companies are sufficient to offset the changes that Read More

Cyprus’ Sovereign Ratings Affirmed, Outlook Remains Stable

Capital Intelligence Ratings (CI Ratings or CI) today announced that it has affirmed the Republic of Cyprus’ Long-Term Foreign Currency Rating (LT FCR) and Short-Term Foreign Currency Rating (ST FCR) at ‘BB+’ and ‘B’, respectively. At the same time, the Outlook for sovereign’s ratings was affirmed as Stable. Rating Rationale The ratings and Outlook reflect CI’s expectation that the economy will start to recover in the final quarter of this year from the disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. The Read More

Israeli-Cyprus tourism links to be stepped up

Efforts to develop tourism between Cyprus and Israel are to be stepped up, the Cyprus Hoteliers’ Association (Pasyxe) and the Israeli ambassador said after a meeting on Friday. In 2019 around 294,000 tourists from Israel visited Cyprus, ranking the country third in terms of arrivals. Pasyxe president Haris Loizides and director general Philokypros Roussounides plus head of the Paphos Hotels Association Thanos Michaelides, also briefed Ambassador Sammy Revel about the situation with coronavirus in Cyprus and its effects on the Read More

Cabinet approves gas forum charter

The cabinet on Tuesday approved the founding charter for the East Mediterranean Gas Forum (Emgf), to be digitally signed on behalf of Cyprus by the energy minister on September 22. The signing ceremony will take place over the internet. Taking part will be the forum’s founding members: Cyprus, Egypt, Greece, Israel, Italy, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority. Speaking to reporters, Energy Minister Natasa Pilides said the forum’s objective is to leverage “the excellent relations and cooperation of the eastern Mediterranean Read More

Hoteliers’ plans prior to pandemic worth millions

By Theano Thiopoulou Hoteliers were making plans worth millions before the pandemic struck either to build new units or to expand existing ones. As the situation has evolved, hotel businesses have turned their attention by necessity to the coming years aiming to fill more than 87,000 rooms across the island, while plans provide for more than 3,000 new ones. Hoteliers see 2020 as a lost year and believe that any substantial income in the tourist sector can be expected from 2021 Read More

Passenger traffic reached close to 300,000 in August

UK and Swedish tour operators appear to be overcoming misgivings over a requirement that visitors present a negative Covid-19 test on arrival and are beginning to bring tourists to Cyprus, Transport Minister Yiannis Karousos said on Friday. Passenger traffic at Cyprus’ two airports was 39,874 in June, 196,000 in July and 294,000 in August. Projections for September are for 300,000 passengers of whom 70 per cent are tourists, 9 per cent business travellers and the remainder people travelling to visit Read More

Cyprus’ economic freedom index well above the world average

Cyprus’ economic freedom score is 70.1 making its economy the 37th freest in the 2020 Index, according to The Heritage Foundation. Its overall score has increased by 2.0 points due primarily to improvements in government integrity, the American conservative think tank which is based in Washington, D.C also said.   Continue reading at source: Read More

Energy Minister assures companies continue planning in Cyprus’ EEZ

Minister of Energy, Commerce and Industry Natasa Pilides has assured that companies active in Cyprus’ exclusive economic zone are moving forward with their planning. Addressing the members of the parliamentary Committee on Energy, Commerce, Industry and Tourism on Tuesday, Pilides said the government is in contact with all companies involved.   Continue reading at source: Read More

Petrides praises Cyprus Banks Progress And Adaptation To Modern Technology

The progress of the banks and their adaptation to modern technology and international standards is remarkable, stressed Minister of Finance Constantinos Petrides, speaking in the Annual General Meeting of the Association of Cyprus Banks (ACB). At the same time, Petrides said that efforts to get rid of the burden of non-performing loans (NPLs) in the banking system should be intensified. "Achieving this goal will significantly improve the prospects of banks and their ability to finance businesses and households," he said. Read More

EIB President visits Cyprus to discuss support for new investments

The President of the European Investment Bank (EIB), Werner Hoyer, is due to hold meetings with the Cypriot government in Nicosia on Monday, to discuss new ways to support the economy during the challenging conditions created by the Covid-19 pandemic. According to a press release by EIB, Hoyer is due to meet President Nicos Anastasiades at the Presidential Palace on Monday morning, followed by talks with the Ministers of Foreign Affairs Nikos Christodoulides, Energy, Natasa Pilides, as well as Finance Read More

Energy Sector In Cyprus Changing Drastically, President Says

The energy sector in Cyprus is changing drastically due to the creation of the energy centre in Vasiliko and the supply of natural gas, President Nicos Anastasiades has said. On Wednesday the President received the annual report submitted by Chair of the Cyprus Energy Regulatory Authority (CERA) Andreas Poulikkas who pointed out that the cost of electricity has decreased by 20 per cent since new pricing measures were introduced in 2017. The President praised the work done by CERA pointing Read More

Re-approval of Shipping Taxation System by EU Commission “an important success”

Τhe re-approval of the Cyprus Shipping Taxation System by the EU Commission at the end of 2019 was an important success for Cyprus Shipping, said the President of Cyprus’ Shipping Chamber (CSC) Philippos Philis, during the Chamber’s 31st Annual General Meeting on Monday. According to a press release, the CSC, hosted the Closed Session of its 31st Annual General Meeting online, at which only its Member-Companies participated, in view of the social distancing measures, due to the Covid-19 pandemic. During Read More

Cyprus’ Deputy Ministry of Tourism announces plan to support domestic tourism

Cyprus’ Deputy Ministry of Tourism announced the launch of an Extraordinary Plan for the Support of Domestic Tourism aiming to encourage holidays in Cyprus on Monday. According to a press release, the plan, approved by the Cabinet, is for permanent residents of Cyprus, and includes the provision of affordable prices for tourist accommodation, and subsidising part of the cost of accommodation to the citizens who decide to make use of it.   Continue reading at source: Read More

Hermes Airports CEO Eleni Kaloyirou plans expansion after the crisis

“Traffic will bounce back, it’s a matter of time” predicts Hermes Airports CEO Eleni Kaloyirou. “And growing traffic at Larnaka and Pafos airports is a key element of our strategy,” she told the Cyprus Mail in an interview. Kaloyirou sees the airports as gateways into an island that depends on tourism. “To this extent, we work closely with the Ministry of Tourism, which has its own strategic planning for promotion of Cyprus as a destination either directly to various markets Read More

Italy set to come aboard with Cyprus, Greece, Israel on EastMed project

After Cyprus, Greece and Israel, Italy is set to ratify the EastMed project agreement which is expected to alter the landscape of gas resources and routes in the eastern Mediterranean. This is what Philenews reported on Friday citing a report in Greek energy news portal “energypress” based on Israeli diplomatic sources. “Italy is ready to take a final stand in favour of EastMed and to confirm commitment in the project by signing imminently the agreement on the construction of the Read More

Savvas Perdios: No High Expectations From UK Market For Tourist Arrivals

There were no high expectations as regards tourist arrivals from the UK, since the country was placed in the Category B list and also because many visitors do not want to take the coronavirus test, Deputy Minister of Tourism Savvas Perdios told CNA. Furthermore, Perdios expressed satisfaction "with the high occupancy on WIZZ AIR flights", adding that this is one of the reasons why the Deputy Ministry sought to conclude an agreement with the company to establish a base in Read More

Hoteliers hope for more bookings in second, third week of August

Hotel bookings in August which is the traditional month for holidays in Cyprus is very low with the first week reaching only about 25%  of average occupancy. This is what Philenews reported on Thursday, adding that hoteliers are hopeful the month’s second and third week will pick up pace. These are the two weeks Cypriots prefer to go on holiday.   Continue reading at source: Read More

Tourism Ministry to launch “gamechanger for Cyprus” — Perdios

A new tourism product scheduled to launch in the beginning of 2021 will help spread tourism to the mountain and rural areas of the island, the Deputy Minister of Tourism Deputy Minister of Tourism Savvas Perdios told the Cyprus Mail on Friday.   Perdios revealed the launch of a new 300km authentic route in the mountain and rural areas of Cyprus which “is really going to change the game for Cyprus.”   “It’s a route which is also physical, so Read More

Cyprus raises €1b through reopening of bonds maturing in 2024 and 2040

The Republic of Cyprus raised on Tuesday €1 billion in a double -European bond issue through the reopening of existing bonds maturing on 3 December 2024 and 21 January 2040, with the total demand exceeding ten times the minimum amount announced. The minimum amount announced is €250 million for each transaction. In a written statement, Finance Minister Constantinos Petrides expressed his satisfaction with “the extremely positive response by the markets.”   Continue reading at source:  Read More

Cyprus economy on track, but has further to go — PwC

Has the Cyprus economy begun to recover from the novel coronavirus crisis and lockdown? We asked Michalis Stephanou, Partner in Advisory at PwC Cyprus, to assess progress. “There is definitely a sense, among many consumers, that the COVID-19 crisis is over. Many consumers are confident that their income will not be significantly affected, and altogether there is a general return to normalcy. This confidence will incite many consumers to spend, and that will give the Cyprus economy a welcome boost,” Read More

INVEST CYPRUS: Quality Investments for the Country

The facts may have changed the Cyprus Investment promotion agency’s action plan, but not the main core of its efforts, the attraction of quality investments from abroad. The new reality has brought significant changes to Invest Cyprus’ plans for the current year. As a result of the Covid-19 restrictions, the organization proceeded with the reshaping of its action plan, via the digital transformation of all its promotional activities. In particular, the new plan which is already being implemented since the Read More

Tourists book air tickets for Cyprus

The Cyprus Mail has taken an informal poll of how tourist airline bookings for the island are shaping up. Here’s what we found: Easyjet from the UK: Bookings from London were sold out from July 8, the date EasyJet puts seats on sale again, to July 28. Lufthansa: About half of flights available were sold out, and those with seats available had less than five that could still be purchased.   Continue reading at source:  Cyprus Read More

Leading company picks Cyprus to anchor six cruise ships

A leading cruise vessel operator has chosen to anchor six technically advanced cruise ships off Limassol in a significant boost to the economy, the deputy ministry of shipping said on Wednesday. “Following close consultation between the relevant/responsible government authorities  and the maritime private sector, we are pleased to announce that Cyprus has been chosen and awarded as a location (in the Limassol Moni anchorage) for the layup of currently 6 technically advanced cruise ships by one of the world’s leading Read More

TUI Germany said Greece, Cyprus among its chief travel destinations

Greece and Cyprus will be among the chief travel destinations for Germany’s TUI travel group which launches its programme for 2020 on June 17. Speaking to Business Insider after Germany said today it was lifting its travel warning from June 15, TUI Deutschland CEO Marek Andryszak said that the Balearic islands, the Canary Islands, Greece, Portugal and Cyprus will be the group’s main markets in 2020, while there will also be holiday packages for Croatia and Bulgaria.   Continue reading Read More

Lakkotrypis: Greece-Cyprus-Israel cooperation founded upon a joint vision

The American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce organised on Tuesday, June 2, a virtual roundtable discussion, entitled “East Med the trilateral partnership (Greece-Israel-Cyprus) and its role in regional energy security and economic cooperation in the age of Covid-19 and beyond”. Speaking in the virtual roundtable discussion, Cyprus Minister of Energy, Commerce and Tourism, Georgios Lakkotrypis underlined that Cyprus, Greece and Israel, share common principles, as well as a joint vision for the future. As he said, the Cyprus-Greece-Israel trilateral cooperation instigated further Read More

Cabinet ratifies EastMed gas pipeline

The cabinet on Thursday ratified the EastMed gas pipeline project, which had been signed in January by Greece, Israel, and Cyprus. The project is also supported by Italy, which has not yet signed the agreement, however. The EastMed project entails a 1,900km natural gas pipeline to connect the gas reserves of the eastern Mediterranean to Greece.   Continue reading at source:  Cyprus Read More

Deputy Ministry of Tourism ready to reopen Cyprus to tourists on June 15 – Tourism committee

President of the House Standing Committee on Energy, Trade, Industry and Tourism Andreas Kyprianou said on Tuesday that the Deputy Ministry of Tourism is ready to reopen Cyprus to tourism on June 15 and that relevant protocols are ready. Speaking to CNA following a teleconference earlier today between the members of the Committee and Deputy Tourism Minister Savvas Perdios, Kyprianou said that the Ministry aims to recuperate 30% of the arrivals and tourism revenue that Cyprus recorded in 2019.   Read More

Cyprus Deputy Tourism Minister says 55% of 2020 actions on tourism has been completed

Cyprus` Deputy Tourism Minister Savvas Perdios said on Wednesday that 55% of the actions planned for 2020 in the sector of tourism has been completed. Perdios who briefed the cabinet on the implementation of the action plan for this year, said in statements at the Presidential Palace among other things, that the Deputy Ministry has been promoting incentives for the promotion of tourism in rural, mountainous and remote areas and is also in the process of reviewing all schemes to Read More

Coronavirus: Protaras and Paralimini preparing for summer season

Protaras and Paralimni are preparing for the summer season, while Ayia Napa tourism businesses are unsure whether they will operate or not this year. According to Paralimni Mayor, Theodoros Pirilis, both Paralimni and Protaras are “ready to welcome tourists” if the flight ban to Cyprus is lifted and scientists give the green light for summer vacations. But hoteliers and restaurant owners in the neighbouring town are conflicted on whether it will be profitable to open their businesses during the pandemic. Read More

Ship management industry contributed 5.2% of GDP in late 2019

Revenues from the ship management industry increased in the second half of 2019, reaching €581m, around 5.2 per cent of the island’s GDP, compared to the €523m (4.9 per cent) reached in the first half of 2019, a report published by the Statistics Department of the Central Bank of Cyprus showed on Tuesday.   Continue reading at source:  Cyprus Read More

Step by step re-opening of economy

With the number of coronavirus cases stabilising, all eyes now are on the lockdown exit strategy that will allow a gradual return to normal life. President Nicos Anastasiades has warned that even though the Council of Ministers has decided on the strategy for the gradual relaxation of the measures, no decision has been taken on the date. Finance Minister Constantinos Petrides has indicated that the first relaxation measures could come in early May.   Continue reading at source:  Read More

Moves to prepare study to create Paphos marina and docking for cruise ships underway

The ministry of tourism’s announcement that the process to open a tender to secure the services of a specialised consultant to examine the proposal of establishing a combined marina and cruise ship docking facility in Kissonerga in Paphos, with no mention of an environmental impact study, is being queried by the Cyprus Greens. “They have announced the development of infrastructure for the reception of cruise ships without the required environmental impact study,” a statement from the party said. In addition, Read More

Natasa Pilides: We Are Considering Appointing A Maritime Ambassador In Hong Kong

This year promises to be one of major change at the Deputy Ministry of Shipping, as major restructuring is underway to make the government’s maritime arm more efficient, while tax incentives are about to come into effect, making the Cyprus flag more attractive, the Financial Mirror reported. Deputy Shipping Minister Natasa Pilides, briefing journalists upon completing two years at the helm of the new junior ministry, said the aim is twofold, to promote Cyprus as a registry and also as Read More

10th Nicosia Economic Congress

The Nicosia Economic Congress has been established as one of the biggest economic events in Cyprus and this year celebrates ten years of its successful organization. The 10th Nicosia Economic Congress, presented by Alpha Bank Cyprus Ltd and organized by the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Cyprus (ICPAC) and GOLD magazine, will be held on Thursday, 9 April 2020 at the Hilton Nicosia (former Hilton Park). The Congress aims to analyse, inter alia, the current state of the island's economy, Read More

Cyprus Government Determined To Continue Its Responsible Economic Policy

The government is determined to continue its serious and responsible policy on the economy, said on Wednesday Cyprus' Deputy Government Spokesman Panayiotis Sentonas. According to a statement by the Presidency, Sentonas who was speaking to journalists said that "it is obvious that the economy is continuing to grow and we are also replenishing what citizens have lost during the difficult years," the CNA reports. He added that recent figures from the Statistical Service and the European Commission for Cyprus confirm Read More

Port and marina project will change Larnaca's future

In the biggest facelift, Larnaca has witnessed the port and marina redevelopment project will change the town’s future landscape creating 4,000 jobs and generating billions for the economy. Cyprus has reached an agreement with Israeli investors for the long-awaited €1.2 bln redevelopment of Larnaca port and marina, the island’s largest infrastructure project of its kind. Earlier this week the tender-winning Cypriot-Israeli consortium Kition Ocean Holdings, presented their eco-viable plans to Larnaca municipality.   Continue reading at source:  Financial Read More

Shipping Chamber backs work of Shipping Deputy Ministry

The Cyprus Shipping Chamber said on Sunday it hoped to build an even closer cooperation with the Shipping Deputy Ministry, for the further growth of Cyprus Shipping, aiming for even more tangible results. In a press release to mark two years since the establishment of the Shipping Deputy Ministry, the Chamber pointed out that it is necessary to urgently finalise the ongoing effort to adequately staff the ministry, as well as to implement an integrated National Shipping Strategy to meet Read More

Hermes Airports: Passenger traffic to exceed 14 million by 2030

As part of efforts to increase Cyprus’ much-needed air connectivity, the Deputy Ministry of Tourism and Hermes Airports will participate at two upcoming specialised fairs. The ultimate goal is for Cyprus to become a more attractive destination for visitors from numerous markets, as well as to give residents of Cyprus the opportunity of direct flights to new destinations. Specifically, representatives of the two agencies will visit Routes Europe fair in Bergen in April, and the Route World in Milan in Read More

TUI's leading role in Cyprus after Thomas Cook's collapse

Cyprus’ tourism industry strongly depends on overseas giant travel and tourism companies considering that some 60% of arrivals over the recent past years are on package holidays, Phileleftheros reports. Last year’s collapse of Thomas Cook was a huge blow to Cyprus since the British giant used to fly over 5% of visitors annually, corresponding to about 250,000. But after its bankruptcy, Hanover-based TUI Group has taken up a leading role in the Mediterranean island’s tourism industry. And the travel and tourism Read More

Larnaca to see its fair share of new developments, projects in 2020 (photos)

Larnaca district will see its fair share of new developments and projects in 2020 including several luxury high-rise buildings, hotels, a shopping mall, an open air bazaar, a Club and a linear park. “2020 will be one of Larnaca’s most productive years in decades with grand developments and several other projects directly benefiting the tourism sector set to be completed and in operation,” Larnaca’s Tourism Board said in a written statement on Tuesday. Specifically, Larnaca, Zygi, Athienou and Lefkara will Read More

InvestCyprus Creates Specialized Unit To Help Achieve 2030 Tourist Targets

InvestCyprus, the island’s organization responsible for attracting foreign direct investment, announced the creation of a specialized unit in a bid to facilitate the efforts to achieve Cyprus’ National Tourist Strategy for 2030, which aims at attracting 5 million tourists by 2030, according to the CNA. Speaking to a press conference both InvestCyprus Chairman Michalis Michael and Director General George Campanellas stressed that the organization will place the attraction of investors in the tourism sector at the spotlight of its action Read More

Highest Volume of Tourist Arrivals Ever Recorded For The January Period

On the basis of the results of the Passengers Survey released by Cystat, arrivals of tourists reached 85.622 in January 2020 compared to 81.970 in January 2019, recording an increase of 4,5%. January 2020 had the highest volume of tourist arrivals ever recorded in Cyprus during the specific month. Analysis of changes Tourist arrivals from Israel increased by 58,0% in January 2020 compared to January 2019 while an increase of 91,9% was also recorded for tourists from Ukraine. Contrary to Read More

Pafos and Israel tourism prospects look positive

Tourism and business prospects between Pafos and Israel are looking positive for the coming period, according to people involved in the tourist industry in Cyprus who have recently participated in the tourist fair in Tel Aviv and had contacts with their Israeli counterparts. Tourist agents and businessmen from Pafos appear optimistic about developing further ties with Israel in areas such as services for wedding ceremonies, tourism in specific sectors of the industry and business deals.   Continue reading at source:  Read More

Cyprus ferry connection to Piraeus possible by this summer

There will be a ferry connection between Piraeus port and Limassol with the possibility of a stopover at a Greek island, following an initial agreement between Cyprus Shipping Deputy Minister Natasa Pilides and Greek shipping officials. And efforts are underway so that the ferry link is launched and available by this summer, Phileleftheros reports citing insiders. Pilides and Greece’s Shipping Minister, Ioannis Plakiotakis, discussed in detail the action-plan for the ferry trip during a meeting in Athens last week.   Read More

Joint Cypriot-Israeli Venture Proposes €1bn Marina Project For Larnaca

Cyprus has reached an agreement with Israeli, submitting a proposal for more than €1bn for the development of the existing marina and port at Larnaca, which it would be the largest investment in Cyprus to date, according to the International Boat Industry. Kition Ocean Holdings proposes expansion and modernisation to the port to serve its existing tenants more efficiently as well as becoming a magnate for new companies such as commercial cruises, transport and energy. On the marina side, Kition Read More

Cyprus GDP Set To Grow Over The Next Two-Year-Period According To Commission Forecast

The economy in Cyprus will grow by 3.2% in 2019, 2.8% in 2020 and 2.5% in 2021, according the European Commission`s Winter Economic Forecast, published today in Brussels, and presented by Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni. Inflation will be 0.8% in 2020 and 1.2% in 2021 and "downside risks are primarily external notably a potential slowdown in foreign demand for residences and tourism services," the CNA reported.More specifically, according to the European Commission "Cyprus’ real GDP grew Read More

Cyprus’ energy strategy being pursued as planned, says President

Cyprus’ is pursuing its energy strategy as planned, the President of the Republic Nicos Anastasiades has said. He also pointed out that goodwill dictates proceeding to a dialogue for a Cyprus solution, without any preconditions. Speaking to the press on Sunday following a mass to celebrate the Feast Day of St Maron in Nicosia, the President said that just because Turkey does not recognize the Cyprus Republic we are not going to give up our state sovereignty so that the Read More

Francis Fannon, US Assistant Secretary Of State For Energy Resources, To Visit Cyprus

A visit to Cyprus by US Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Resources, Francis Fannon, sends political messages, Government Spokesman Kyriacos Koushos said on Tuesday. He also noted that a drill ship is expected at the end of March or beginning of April, to start drilling in the exclusive economic zone. Speaking at the Presidential Palace, Koushos said that Fannon’s visit was very important, confirming the upgraded relations with the United States, as well as the interest of the US Read More

Slight Increase In The Arrival Of Travellers For November 2019

The arrivals of travellers in November 2019 reached 309.952 compared to 261.765 in November 2018, recording an increase of 18,4%. The increase is mainly attributed to the arrivals of tourists (6,7%) as well as the return of residents of Cyprus (14,7%), the press release from Cystat shows. An increase in the arrivals of travellers (3,0%) was also recorded in October 2019 when travellers reached 582.861.   Continue reading at source: Gold Read More

Private, public development proof of economic impetus

President Nicos Anastasiades said that multi-billion private developments and expenditure on public utilities, also amounting to several billion euros, are proof of the economy’s dynamic development and of restored confidence. Speaking on Wednesday evening at the In Business Awards in Nicosia, he said they come as a result of a stable economic environment after prudent and targeted actions by the government, which lends an ear to business people. The progress achieved so far strengthens our willingness for the target we Read More

Arrivals, departures to and from Cyprus on the rise

Total arrivals of travellers last November reached 309,952 compared to 261,765 in November 2018, recording an increase of 18.4%, according to the Cyprus Statistical Service. The increase is mainly attributed to arrivals of tourists (6.7%) as well as returns of residents of Cyprus (14.7%). An increase in arrivals of travellers (3.0%) was also recorded in October 2019 when they reached a total of 582,861.   Continue reading at source:  Read More

1342 civil weddings in Paphos Municipality in 2019

Paphos Municipality generated €722,000 from 1372 civil weddings in 2019, municipality official Lia Costi told the Cyprus News Agency on Monday. She said that there were 104 fewer civil weddings than the previous year, primarily because of Brexit and the collapse of Thomas Cook. In 2017, a total of 1,270 civil weddings were carried out at Paphos Municipality venues. Of the 1342 couples choosing to tie the knot in Paphos, 80% were from the UK, 15% from Israel and remaining Read More

Larnaca development starting to take shape

Larnaca will see its fair share of new developments with several luxury high-rise building projects, hotels and a shopping mall being built by local and foreign investors. Once lagging behind other towns in Cyprus construction activity, Larnaca is catching up with redeveloping the marina, its first shopping mall, while building luxury apartments and hotels.   Continue reading at source:  Financial Mirror Read More

Cyprus Surpasses Its 2020 Renewable Energy Target

In 2018, the share of energy from renewable sources in gross final energy consumption reached 18.0% in the European Union (EU), up from 17.5% in 2017 and more than double the share in 2004 (8.5%), the first year for which the data are available. These figures are published by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union. The increase in the share of renewables is essential to reach the EU climate and energy goals. The EU's target Read More

Yiorgos Lakkortypis: Cyprus The 5th Cheapest In EU For Gasoline Despite Slight Increase

Despite an increase in the price of gasoline, Cyprus remains in the 5th place of EU countries with the cheapest gasoline, Energy Minister Yiorgos Lakkortypis said on Tuesday. He was speaking after briefing the House Committee on Energy about the country’s progress in implementing renewable energy commitments in transportation, the CNA reported. Cyprus is obliged to secure 10% of RES in transportation by the end of this year, in line with a goal set in 2009. According to the Energy Read More

Savvas Perdios: The Aim Is to Turn Cyprus into an All Year Destination

Cyprus Deputy Minister of Tourism Savvas Perdios briefed on Tuesday parliamentarians on Cyprus’ ten-year tourism strategy 2020-2030 which aims to an increase of the income by30% and an increase in arrivals from 4 mln to 5,15 mln in 2030. Perdios told the House’s Committee on Energy, Trade, Industry and Tourism that the strategy is based on both quality and quantity goals which will be met in a ten-year period, adding that the vision is for sustainable growth of Cyprus’ tourism Read More

Mining Industry Creates New Prospects for Cyprus

Peter van der Borgh, Managing Director of Venus Minerals Ltd, a Cyprus-based mining and exploration company, analyses the important role that copper plays in tackling climate change and the reasons behind its rising demand worldwide, in an interview with Goldnews. Peter van der Borgh also refers to the prospects for mining copper in Cyprus and the benefits of developing the sector, explaining that current mining practices are different compared to previous years. With extensive experience in Cyprus and abroad, Venus Read More

Tourist Arrivals For December 2019

On the basis of the results of the Passengers Survey, the press release from CyStat notes, arrivals of tourists reached 110.330 in December 2019 compared to 106.563 in December 2018, recording an increase of 3,5%. December 2019 had the highest volume of tourist arrivals ever recorded in Cyprus during the specific month. For the period of January – December 2019 arrivals of tourists totalled 3.976.777 compared to 3.938.625 in the corresponding period of 2018, Read More

Energy Minister to sign East Mediterranean Gas Forum Foundation Charter in Cairo

Energy Minister YiorgosLakkotrypis travels to Cairo on Wednesday to attend the third ministerial meeting of the East Mediterranean Gas Forum (EMGF) during which he will sign the Foundation Charter of the Forum along with his counterparts from Egypt, Greece, Israel, Italy, Jordan and Palestine, the CNA reports. A press release says that the Forum will also be attended by representatives from the European Commission, the US government and the World Bank. The Foundation Charter is a result of numerous meetings Read More

Cyprus looks ahead after breaking more tourist records

Cyprus Deputy Ministry of Tourism is satisfied as 2019 ended with a bang, breaking last year’s record for tourist arrivals after efforts to recover lost airline seats from major markets such as Germany and Britain. Deputy Tourism Minister Savvas Perdios while presenting the junior ministry’s achievements for 2019, said that deals with airlines such as Condor and other smaller British carriers have closed the gap created by the collapse of other companies. Perdios noted that the Deputy Ministry along with all stakeholders in Read More

Cyprus real estate sector marked by positive sentiment in 2019

Despite external pressure and warnings by supervisory authorities over a real estate bubble in Cyprus the sector has proved to be resilient and sentiment was positive in 2019. In fact, 2019 closed with a 12% increase in sales documents, exceeding 10,300 in number and marking the industry’s best performance since 2008. The districts of Nicosia and Larnaca were steadily on the rise, while Limassol’s  momentum was maintained.   Continue reading at source: in-cyprus Read More

Savvas Perdios: Cyprus Sets Goal To Be Among 30 Top Tourist Destinations By 2030

Deputy Tourism Minister Savvas Perdios has said that a goal has been set for Cyprus to be among the 30 most competitive tourist destinations by 2030, the CNA reported.In statements after a meeting of the Cabinet, on Wednesday, during which the national strategy for tourism until 2030 was submitted, Perdios said that the aim is to increase tourism’s contribution in the Cypriot economy from €2.9 billion per year to €4.5 billion per year.Cyprus ranks 44th in the Read More

Kyriakos Mitsotakis: EastMed 'Very Important' Energy And Geopolitical Project

Greece`s Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has said that the EastMed is a very important energy but also geopolitical project, which will allow Europe to have access to new hydrocarbon reserves to be discovered in the Eastern Mediterranean, the CNA reported.Mitsotakis was addressing on Sunday evening an American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association (AHEPA) event at Tarpon Springs in Florida, a briefing issued by his press office says.   Continue reading at source:  Gold Read More

President Anastasiades: EastMed Pipeline Agreement Constitutes A Historic Milestone

The intergovernmental agreement for the construction of the EastMed natural gas pipeline, according to the CNA, was signed at Zappeion Megaron, in Athens, by Greece`s Environment and Energy Minister Kostis Hadzidakis, Cyprus` Energy Minister Yiorgos Lakkotrypis and Israeli Energy Minister Yuval Steiniz. The agreement was signed in the presence of Greece`s and Israel`s Prime Ministers Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Benjamin Netanyahu, and President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nicos Anastasiades. During the joint press conference that followed the signing of the Read More

Gas finds have created opportunity for co-operation

President Nicos Anastasiades will on Thursday hold separate meetings with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Athens, where the three leaders will sign an intergovernmental agreement for the EastMed pipeline project. Government spokesman Kyriakos Koushios told the Cyprus News Agency (CNA) that the Cyprus problem, the current state of affairs in the eastern Mediterranean and developments in light of the signing of the MoU between Turkey and Libya for the delimitation of their respective Read More

Savvas Perdios: Emphasis On New Tourist Markets in Next Two Years

Cyprus` Tourism Deputy Minister Savvas Perdios has said that in the next two years emphasis will be placed in attracting tourists from new markets such as France, Belgium, Holland, Norway, Sweden and Israel, the CNA reported.In statements after a meeting with Cyprus Greens President Giorgos Perdikis, Perdios assured that a new national tourism strategy set to be launched in the beginning of 2020, will take environmental issues seriously thus differentiating Cyprus from other competitors.   Continue reading at source:  Read More

Syllouris: A Study on the for Launching Direct Flights Between China and Cyprus to Be Carried Out

Cyprus House President Demetris Syllouris and the delegation accompanying him during his visit to China discussed on Monday with the Chairperson of Guangdong Provincial People’s Congress the possibility of launching direct flights between China and Cyprus, and more specifically between Guangdong Province and Cyprus, the CNA reports. Syllouris said that the proposal to look into this issue was welcomed on the part of China and that a study will be conducted by a Chinese company on this issue. Moreover, he Read More

Revenue from Tourism Recording Minor Increase

On the basis of the results of the Passenger Survey, data released by CyStat show that revenue from tourism reached €431,6 mn in August 2019 compared to €428,2 mn in the corresponding month of the previous year, recording an increase of 0,8%.For the period of January – August 2019 revenue from tourism is estimated at €1.856,8 mn compared to €1.889,7 mn in the corresponding period of 2018, recording a decrease of 1,7%. Continue reading at source:  Gold Read More

From sea to sky

Shipping, yes, but Cyprus also has the potential to become a preferred jurisdiction for aircraft registrations within the EUBy Andreas ChristofidesCyprus is widely recognised as a leading forum in the international maritime industry. This global success story may sometimes overshadow the significant advantages and benefits that Cyprus offers in other sectors. Aviation is one such example.Aviation experts will say a country’s gold standard for registering aircraft, be it commercial or private, is high regulatory standards, a high level of Read More

Funds Summits Praises Significant Progress in The Cyprus Investment Funds Sector

The significant progress achieved in the Cyprus investment funds industry was highlighted in the two-day International Funds Summits that began on Monday in Nicosia with 580 participants of which 120 from abroad, the CNA reported. In the Summit’s opening, Cyprus Finance Minister Harris Georgiades, Central Bank Governor Consantinos Herodotou and Cyprus Investment Funds Agency Angelos Gregorides highlighted the sector’s significant growth in the past years and stressed they will continue to cooperate for the progress of the industry that saw Read More

Cyprus Deputy Ministry of Tourism will Announce Final Version of National Tourism Strategy

Cyprus Deputy Minister for Tourism Savvas Perdios has said that the Deputy Ministry will soon announce the final version of the 2020 – 2030 National Tourism Strategy, the Cyprus News Agency reports.Tourism is among the Government’s top priorities, Perdios underlined on Friday, speaking at an event of the Cyprus Hotels Association in Famagusta.According to Perdios, for the years 2020 – 2021 the Deputy Ministry was planning to put emphasis on Cyprus’ connectivity, its branding which would be launched Read More

Nicos Anastasiades: Cyprus Is Determined to Proceed with Its Energy Plans

President of Cyprus Nicos Anastasiades stressed that the Republic of Cyprus is determined to proceed unhindered with its energy plans and to make good use of the gas reserves that have been discovered, as a source of regional economic cooperation, growth and prosperity, the CNA reported.Speaking at the 4th Euro-Arab World Summit, in Athens, Anastasiades said that the Cypriot government never disregarded the interests of the Turkish Cypriots, and for that reason relevant proposals have been tabled until the Read More

Andreas Neocleous: Undertaking A Major Role in The Digital Transformation of Cyprus Economy

What is the significance of the annual Limassol Economic Forum?The annual Limassol Economic Forum is probably the most important gathering of its kind in Cyprus, as it has become a platform for prominent experts and analysts from across the international economic sphere to set out their views and forecast the future in front of an audience comprising major local and international businessmen, investors, policymakers and economists.What made you decide to become a sponsor of the event?As the Read More

Cyprus shipping industry ready for blockchain

By Jonathan ShkurkoBlockchain technology has made strong inroads into the shipping industry all over the world, and Cyprus is following suit.A draft bill to regulate blockchain technology is expected to be ready before the end of the year, Finance Minister Harris Georgiades said in July.House President Demetris Syllouris said the move will have a massive impact in various sectors in Cyprus. “Full implementation of this technology across the public and private sector is expected to radically change the Read More

Steering a sector that never sleeps

The shipping sector which has proved to be a bastion of strength even through times of crisis, is sailing through waters with a newly formed structure under the flagship of the deputy shipping ministry, headed by Natasa Pilides. Andria Kades meets herThe Cyprus shipping industry, which contributes around seven per cent of GDP, acquired its own deputy ministry in March 2018 but a year and half later, its chief Natasa Pilides (L) said there is a long road ahead. With Read More

House Prices Up by 42 in the Euro Area

House prices, as measured by the House Price Index, rose by 4.2% in both the euro area and the EU in the second quarter of 2019 compared with the same quarter of the previous year, according to Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union.Compared with the first quarter of 2019, house prices rose by 1.7% in the euro area and 1.6% in the EU in the second quarter of 2019. In Cyprus house prices increased Read More

Maritime Cyprus 2019 conference kicks off in Limassol

The Maritime Cyprus 2019 conference kicks off on Monday in Limassol with the participation of more than 800 shipping executives from around the globe.The conference will run until Wednesday under the slogan Sea Change, and will be opened by President Nicos Anastasiades.Maritime Cyprus is celebrating 30 years since it was first held in 1989. Since then, it has grown into one of the world’s most significant and well attended shipping conferences. Its status now gives it a prominent Read More

Paphos can cater for 250,000 visitors this winter

Despite winter closures, around 12,000 tourist beds in Paphos will remain available to accommodate 250,000 visitors between December and March, according to the Paphos regional board of tourism.“The Paphos district will have several thousand full-service beds available and will offer a wide range of accommodation with the capacity to accommodate tens of thousands of visitors in the winter of December 2019 – March 2020,” a regional board of tourism spokesman announced.A preliminary survey completed by the Paphos regional Read More

Deposits in Cyprus Banks at The Highest Level of the Last 11 Months, While Loans Remain Low

Total deposits in Cyprus banking system reached their highest level in the past eleven months in August 2019, according to figures released by the Central Bank of Cyprus (CBC) on Thursday, while loans remained at historically low levels, despite a net increase in the eighth month of this year. Household loans declined by almost €6 billion in August 2019 and loans to non-financial corporations by almost €5 billion, the CNA reports. Total deposits in August 2019 recorded a net decrease Read More

Cyprus Drafts National Plan for Tourism Aiming at Five Million Tourist Arrivals by 2030

The opening of new markets and the upgrading of the quality of the Cyprus tourist product that could boost tourist arrivals up to 5 million by 2030, are the main targets of Cyprus’ Strategic Plan on tourism for the period of 2020-2030, drafted by the Deputy Ministry for Tourism and presented to the parliamentary committee on Tourism.Deputy Minister for Tourism, Savvas Perdios, said he presented the operational plan for 2020-2030, an integral part of the National Strategy for Tourism Read More

Cyprus Airways Signs Interline Agreement with Sky Express

Cyprus Airways has officially signed an interline agreement with the Greek-based carrier, Sky Express. The agreement, which came into effect this September, will offer more travel opportunities to Cyprus Airways passengers as they can continue their journey from Athens or Thessaloniki to other places in Greece and the Greek islands.More specifically, passengers who fly with Cyprus Airways flights to Athens or Thessaloniki can now continue their journey to 29 airports in Greece and Greek islands with Sky Express flights. Read More

National wealth of Cyprus on the rise

Cyprus’ national wealth is on the rise again with GDP getting higher and higher following the harsh years of the economic crisis. The crisis resulted in reduced salaries and reduced business turnover that followed unavoidably led to the loss of national wealth.But the push by foreign investors in the construction sector and related services as a result of the island’s citizenship by investment scheme has helped in sustaining the Cypriot economy’s development at relatively high levels. In recent years, Read More

Highest Volume of Tourist Arrivals Ever Recorded for August

According to the Statistical Service, on the basis of the results of the Passengers Survey, arrivals of tourists reached 553.845 in August 2019 compared to 534.847 in August 2018, recording an increase of 3,6%. August 2019 had the highest volume of tourist arrivals ever recorded in Cyprus during the specific month.For the period of January – August 2019 arrivals of tourists totalled 2.735.839 compared to 2.719.622 in the corresponding period of 2018, recording Read More

Cyprus signs contracts with Eni and Total on five EEZ blocks Updated

Cyprus on Wednesday signed agreements with France’s Total and Italy’s Eni for exploration in block 7 of Cyprus’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ).The contracts were signed at the energy ministry by Energy Minister Giorgos Lakkotrypis in Nicosia with representatives of the two companies in the presences of the ambassadors of France and Italy.In July the cabinet announced that the Total-Eni consortium had been granted a licence for exploratory drillings in block 7. Total was also granted a licence for Read More

Fleet Management Ltd celebrates its 25th anniversary

As part of its anniversary celebrations, Fleet organised a remarkable Gala Dinner on September 6 in Nicosia with many esteemed guests, including H.E the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nicos Anastasiades, the High Commissioner of India R K Raghvanand, Constantinos Yiorkadjis the Mayor of Nicosia and Deputy Shipping Deputy Minister  Natasa Pilides.The Chairman of Caravel Group, Harry Banga and Managing Director of Fleet Management Ltd, Kishore Rajvanshy, along with 300 distinguished ship owners and key stakeholders travelled Read More

Paphos maintains its position as the most popular spot to overseas buyers investors

Paphos is in the lead as the most popular district for overseas buyers from Europe and Non-Europeans by 37.6% in comparison to Limassol which follows with 33.1%.   Larnaca is 3rd with 17.5% and lastly Famagusta with 6.8 % and Nicosia with just 5.0%.During the first eight months of 2019, the number of sales has increased by 17% to reach 7,044 compared to 6,016 in the corresponding period last year. In percentage terms, sales in Paphos have risen by 27% Read More

Cyprus' Sovereign Ratings Affirmed with A Positive Outlook

Capital Intelligence Ratings (CI Ratings or CI), the international credit rating agency, today announced that it has affirmed the Republic of Cyprus’ Long-Term Foreign Currency Rating (LT FCR) at ‘BB+’ and its Short-Term Foreign Currency Rating (ST FCR) at ‘B’. The LT FCR Outlook remains Positive.RATING RATIONALEThe ratings and outlook reflect the continued strong performance of the economy, declining unemployment, improving public finances and the ongoing recovery of the banking sector. In addition, legislative and structural reforms have helped to Read More

Serious increase of cruise tourism in Cyprus expected in coming years

Deputy Minister for Tourism Savvas Perdios said on Thursday that a serious increase of cruise tourism was expected in Cyprus in the coming years.Perdios is leading a Cypriot delegation at “Seatrade Europe”, Europe’s largest international cruise and river cruise fair, which is held at the Hamburg trade fair grounds.“We have presented the product of Cyprus, our competitive advantages and if everything goes right with geopolitics in the area, I think that in the coming years there will be Read More

EIB Approves New Loans Totalling €170 Million for Cyprus

The European Investment Bank (EIB) Board of Directors approved two loans for Cyprus totalling €170 million, strengthening the government’s efforts to support small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) and the growth and competitiveness of the private sector, the CNA reports.A press release issued by the Finance Ministry notes that the first loan amounting to €130 million lies in the context of the well-known EIB scheme implemented in Cyprus since 2014 providing cheap and long-term funding to the private sector Read More

European Commission Releases €7.9 Million for Cyprus Rural Development Programme

The European Commission is set to release €7.9 million for Cyprus` rural development programme, the CNA reports.The amount was initially withheld pending intermediate targets that needed to be met, an announcement by the Cyprus Press and Information Office issued on Monday says.From the beginning of the programming period over €105 million have been disbursed and payments are expected to intensify in the coming months, given that important investments are implemented this period on the part of beneficiaries, Read More

Vasiliki Anastasiadou: Space Technology a Unique way to Promote Blue Growth in Cyprus

Space technology is a unique way to promote blue growth in Cyprus, Transport, Communications and Works Minister Vasiliki Anastasiadou has said, according to the Cyprus News Agency.She was addressing the International Space Forum which took place in Italy, a press and information office announcement issued here today says.Blue economy sectors in Cyprus employ over 20,000 people who produce approximately €623 million, representing 3.2% of national economy and 5.4% of jobs, while coastal tourism represents 74% of Read More

Cyprus Considers Updating Tonnage Tax System and Pricing Policy for Ship Registration

Cyprus is considering updating its tonnage tax system and its pricing policy for the registration of ships as part of targeted measures to enhance the competitiveness of the Cyprus shipping industry, President of the Republic Nicos Anastasiades said on Friday. Addressing a ceremony for the 25th anniversary of Fleet Management Ltd, Anastasiades said that enhancing the strategic advantages of the Cyprus maritime cluster remains a high priority for the government, as “we are all aware that our shipping industry operates Read More

'More US energy companies to operate in Cyprus'

US Ambassador to Cyprus Judith Garber has said more US energy companies will operate in Cyprus, joining ExxonMobil and Noble Energy.Speaking at a business dinner of the American Chamber of Commerce in Cyprus, in Nicosia on Wednesday evening, she also said that US national security, Cyprus’ national security and the security and stability in the Eastern Mediterranean are inextricably linked, and reiterated the position of the United States that it recognises the right of the Republic of Cyprus to Read More

Deposits Rise to the Highest Level in 10 Months

Deposits in Cyprus Banks rose in July 2019 to the highest level of the last 10 months, while overall loans fell to a new low, according to data released by the Central Bank of Cyprus on Wednesday, August, 28.Total deposits in July 2019 recorded a net increase of €201.9 million, compared with a net increase of €46 million in June 2019. The annual growth rate reached 2.1%, compared with 3.3% in June 2019.The outstanding amount Read More

Power generated by natural gas expected in 2021

Natural gas for power generation should be expected on the island late in 2021, the head of the natural gas public company (Defa) said on Tuesday.Symeon Kassianides briefed President Nicos Anastasiades on Tuesday on the successful completion of the tender procedure for the construction of the infrastructure necessary to import gas for power generation.A multinational consortium made up of China Petroleum Pipeline Engineering, Aktor and Metron S.A., with Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding, and Wilhelmsen Ship Management has ranked Read More

Greece, Israel, US, Cyprus to boost energy cooperation (Updated)

Greece, Israel and USA expressed their full support to Cyprus’ sovereign right to exploit its energy resources, during the First Energy Ministerial Conference, that took place on Wednesday in Athens.Greek Energy Minister Kostis Hatzidakis welcomed his counterparts from Cyprus and Israel Georgios Lakkotrypis and Yuval Steinitz and US Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Resources Francis Fannon.During their joint statements, the four ministers expressed their common will to strengthen their cooperation in the energy and environmental fields.Lakkotrypis Read More

Number of new hotels in Cyprus on the rise

The ever rising number of tourists to Cyprus in recent years has led to an increase in the number of new hotels, according to a KPMG Cyprus report released recently.Specifically, new hotels accounted for 12% of overall building permits issued in 2018. Hotels made up 20% of ‘big projects’ value which, in absolute numbers, this is as high as €250 million.The upward trend in the number of new hotels continued during the months of January-April 2019 as well, Read More

Cyprus Casinos ‘C2’ Enhances Ayia Napa’s Tourism

Following the successful opening of Cyprus Casinos “C2” Ayia Napa (C2 Ayia Napa) earlier this month, the Mayor of Ayia Napa officially inaugurated the new facilities on Wednesday, 31 July 2019. C2 Ayia Napa is the third licensed satellite casino to open its doors in Cyprus following C2 Nicosia and C2 Larnaca and the original C2 Limassol temporary casino.C2 Ayia Napa opened its doors on 15 July 2019, marking a new era for the Municipality’s tourism sector. Located in Read More

New licences will strengthen gas consortium says minister

Energy Minister Giorgos Lakkotrypis said on Tuesday that a cabinet decision the previous day granting licences to France’s Total and Italy’s Eni for block 7 of Cyprus’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ) would strengthen the consortium in several ways.The cabinet on Monday announced that the Total-Eni consortium had been granted a licence for exploratory drillings in block 7. Lakkotrypis said Total had also been granted a licence for blocks 2, 3, 9 and 8, where ENI has been operating.In Read More

Licences for ENI and Total to explore block seven

The cabinet on Monday licensed energy companies ENI and Total to explore block seven of Cyprus’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and approved a partnership between the two in five other blocks.The cabinet also approved nine other drills inside the EEZ within the next couple of years.Block seven neighbours the Calypso field in block six where ENI carried out an exploratory drill early in 2018 and is believed to hold between six and eight trillion cubic feet.Total and Read More

Halloumi Exports Reached 29 Thousand Tons in 2018

Halloumi exports reached 29,000 tons in 2018, acting permanent secretary of Agriculture Ministry Andreas Louca says, the Cyprus News Agency reports.Louca, who was addressing on Friday a halloumi traditional festival, in Prastio Avdimou village in Limassol district, said that the Cyprus cheese’s export momentum has increased in recent years, adding that in 2018 exports reached about 29,000 tons.He also noted that an important component of its success is maintaining its high quality. Continue reading at source:  Gold Read More

Lakkotrypis leaves for Cairo for Gas Forum

Energy Minister Giorgos Lakkotrypis left on Wednesday for Cairo to take part in the 2nd ministerial meeting of East Mediterranean Gas Forum, together with his counterparts of Egypt, Greece, Israel, Italy, Jordan and Palestine.US Energy Minister Rick Perry and European Commission and World Bank representatives will also be present at the meeting. In the morning, a joint meeting between all ministers chaired by Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi will take place. Continue reading at source:  Cyprus Read More

What's Next for the Cyprus Investor Programme?

Over the past couple of years there has been extensive speculation about the future of the Cyprus Investor Programme in the industry of immigration agents. However, Cyprus has made sure that the continious improvements imposed on the programme are pointing in the right direction creating a transparent and solid environment for investors and industry professionals.On the 15th May 2019 the Cyprus government revised the Cyprus Investment Programme for the 5th time in its history, since it was originally launched back in Read More

Chinese investors moving beyond citizenship scheme

By Demetris TheodorouEast Asian investments in Cyprus appear to be gathering momentum, but the nature of the assets bought is shifting to non-urban investments, outside the citizenship scheme.Initially, in the immediate aftermath of the 2013 crisis, there was a big demand in the Paphos area where the purchase of high-value, luxury villas made buyers eligible for the citizenship by investment scheme. Well-off Chinese seeking ‘access to Europe’ became a key target group for developers seeking new markets and quick Read More

DP World Limassol: New Investments Upgrade the Limassol Port

Two and a half years after undertaking the operations of the Multi-Purpose and the New Cruise Terminals at the Limassol port, DP World Limassol presented the upgrades and investments that have been made in infrastructure and equipment.In a media event that was organised by DP World Limassol, on Wednesday, 17 July 2019, journalists had the opportunity to gain valuable insights on the recent developments at the Limassol port, tour the DP World Limassol terminal and observe its operations and Read More

Five exploratory and five appraisal wells to be drilled in next two years (Updated)

Five exploratory and five appraisal wells will be drilled in the next two years in offshore concessions inside Cyprus’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ), Energy Minister Giorgos Lakkotrypis said on Wednesday.The announcement came amid tensions with Turkey over its drilling activities in Cyprus’ exclusive economic zone and the censuring of Ankara by the EU, a development which angered Turkey and also irked Russia. Turkey warned it was sending a fourth ship to the region shortly. The announcement also comes as Read More

DP World Limassol Awarded as the "Most Efficient Cruise Terminal"

DP World Limassol was honoured with the “Most Efficient Cruise Terminal” in the maiden MedCruise Awards. The prestigious cruise industry event was held in Genoa, bringing together MedCruise members and associate members as well as their partners, local authorities, cruise line executives and members of the international press.DP World Limassol port is the main cruise port of Cyprus and is designed to accommodate the largest operating cruise vessels. The brand new 7,000 sqm Passenger Terminal inaugurated in May 2018, Read More

Naguib Sawiris: How Ayia Napa Marina Will Change the Cyprus Coastline

The Egyptian billionaire businessman tells GOLD why he chose to invest in Ayia Napa and the impact he expects the Marina project to have on Cyprus.What made you consider Cyprus as an investment destination?Naguib Sawiris: I set up Ora Developers with the objective of building inspirational developments in unique and exceptional locations. I had visited Cyprus as a young child and have always loved the country and its people, so when the opportunity to build Ayia Napa Marina came along, I Read More

Cyprus Promotes Common Tourism Packages With Neighboring Countries

Cyprus Tourism Deputy Minister Savvas Perdios has had meetings in Lebanon and Jordan and will also visit Greece, Egypt and Israel aiming to reach an agreement on the creation of common tourism packages.In the context of the meetings he had, a press release by the deputy ministry says, Perdios submitted specific proposals aiming to reach agreement for common thematic routes.Continue reading at souce:  Gold Read More

Natasa Pilides: hopes Cyprus-Greece ferry link to start next summer

Deputy Minister of Shipping, Natasa Pilides, told a House Committee on Tuesday, July 9 that she hopes that the ferry connection between Cyprus and Greece will begin next summer, the Cyprus News Agency reports. The issue was discussed before the Parliament`s Committee on Energy, Commerce, Industry and Tourism in the presence of Pilides and Deputy Minister of Tourism Savvas Perdios.Pilides said that the feasibility study is concluded and she expects that the state funding needed will be approved, followed Read More

Michalis P. Michael: 'We are Expanding Our Efforts to New Markets'

Michalis P. Michael, Chairman of Invest Cyprus, spoke at the 8th Invest Cyprus International Investment Awards which took place at the Presidential Palace on July 3 about the ‘miracle’ of Cyprus’ economic recovery.Although many people refer to Cyprus’ economic recovery as a great success story, Michalis Michael considers it as more of a tremendous economic effort from the whole of our society and that’s how it became a miracle. “The growth path the Cyprus economy is following is quite Read More

Pochanis: Cyprus is Establishing Itself as one of The Most Attractive and International Business Centres in the World

For the 4th consecutive year, Invest Cyprus organized the Cyprus International Investors Summit on 27th-29th of June at the Parklane Resort and Spa in Limassol, where a diverse audience of professionals was gathered. This year’s Investors Summit showcased the advantages of International Business Headquartering in Cyprus, as well as the competitive edge Cyprus holds as a funds jurisdiction.Louis Pochanis, the Director of the International Banking, Wealth & Markets Division at Bank of Cyprus welcomed all attendees, and presented several subjects such Read More

HB: Positive Growth Dynamics Continue

Hellenic Bank assesses that Cyprus' macroeconomic outlook is positive and is accompanied by a significant increase in real gross domestic product during 2018, robust employment growth and further improvement in key domestic indicators. Growth is expected to be supported by private consumption and investment and by an improving and robust labour market. Public expenditure is also expected to contribute positively to growth through higher investment expenditures. According to the baseline macroeconomic scenario of Hellenic Bank’s Economic Research Department, growth is Read More

Building Permits Rise by 5% in January - March

Building permits issued in Cyprus in the period of January - March 2019 increased by an annual 5.01% reaching 1,591 compared with 1,515 in the respective period of last year, the Cyprus Statistical Service (Cystat) said on Tuesday 11 June. The value of the permits issued in the first quarter of 2019 increased by an annual 13% amounting to €464.4 million compared with €410.3 million in January – March of 2018. Continue reading at source:  Gold Read More

KPMG Cyprus Launches Credit Institute

Addressed to business executives from the financial and business worlds, KPMG in Cyprus organised the launch event of its newly-formed Credit Institute on the 10th June 2019 at the Royal Hall, Nicosia.KPMG Cyprus Credit Institute aspires to become a professional point-of-reference hub, by bringing the financial and corporate communities together, exchanging ideas, knowledge-sharing and best international practices and aligning their interests towards economic sustainability and prosperity.The inaugural event theme revolved around the Necessity of Corporate Rescue and Turnaround. The Read More

Cypriot Economy Grows by 3.2% in Q1 2019

The Cypriot economy grew by a rate of 3.2% in the first quarter of 2019, data released by the Cyprus Statistical Service on Friday, June 7.GDP growth rate in real terms during the first quarter of 2019 is positive and estimated at 3.2% over the corresponding quarter of 2018, the Statistical Service says. Continue reading at source:  Gold Read More

Kissonerga eyes lucrative cruise ship tourism

By Bejay BrowneKissonerga has welcomed the recent suggestion by President Nicos Anastasiades that the long-proposed new marina at nearby Potima bay could include a docking facility for cruise ships.The Paphos village community leader described it as a logical suggestion that would massively boost tourism in the area.“We welcome the president’s idea to combine the new marina and a dock for the cruise ships in one area. This will be good for us and for Paphos as a whole. Read More

Cyprus property sales surge in May

MAY saw another surge in the number of Cyprus property sales during May compared to the corresponding month last year, with the number of contacts deposited at Land Registry offices up 72% according to official figures published by the Department of Lands and Surveys.During May 2019 a total of 1,423 contracts were deposited for the sale of commercial and residential properties and land compared with 828 in May 2018 – and the largest monthly figure recorded since July 2008 Read More

Revenue from 'Aphrodite' Estimated to Exceed $9 Billion

Cyprus’ revenues from the exploitation of the “Aphrodite” natural gas field are expected to exceed $9 billion over an 18-year period, based on the agreement the Republic has reached with the consortium of companies that holds the license for the “Aphrodite”, Energy Minister Yiorgos Lakkotrypis revealed on June 5, after the Cabinet’s meeting.According to the Cyprus News Agency, Lakkotrypis said that negotiations with the licensees, namely Noble Energy, Shell and Delek Drilling, have been concluded, adding that they aimed Read More

Government strikes new deal with Noble over Aphrodite gas (Updated)

Cyprus has struck a production-sharing deal for the Aphrodite gas reservoir worth over $9 billon (€7.9bn) over 18 years with Noble Energy and its partners, it was announced on Wednesday.Energy Minister Giorgos Lakkotrypis said negotiations have finished with Cyprus getting a good deal under the circumstances that is worth over $9bn or around $500 million (€443m) per year over 18 years, depending on the international price of oil. The revenues are based on an average price of oil Read More

DP World Limassol: Driving Cyprus' Growth of Cruise Tourism

DP World Limassol hosted leading cruise sector executives at the 2nd Limassol Cruise Executive Summit. The aim of this event was to promote Cyprus and Limassol as an attractive cruise destination and elevating cruise tourism.Eleven large cruise operating companies based in Europe and the United States took part in the cruise executive Summit that was held between 29-31 of May. The initiative was carried out by DP World Limassol as the operator of the New Cruise Terminal in cooperation with Read More

Arrivals of Travelers Increase in April

The arrivals of travelers in April 2019 reached 474.610 compared to 448.228 in April 2018, recording an increase of 5.9%, the Statistical Service announced on Monday, June 3, the Cyprus News Agency reports.“The increase is mainly attributed to the arrivals of tourists (4.8%) and to the return of the residents of Cyprus (3.1%)”, said Cystat.It added that departures of travelers increased by 2.1% in April 2019 compared with the corresponding month of Read More

Cyprus to Carry Out Eight Drillings in its EEZ in the Next 24 Months

Energy Minister Yiorgos Lakkotrypis has announced that Cyprus is planning to carry out eight drillings in its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), during the next 24 months.The Minister said that six of those will be exploratory, while two will be confirmatory."Activities in the Cyprus EEZ continue. Eight drillings have been scheduled for the next 24 months. Six exploratory and two confirmatory”, said the Minister, during a presentation of the work of his Ministry from March 2018 through April 2019. Read More

Record arrivals in April

Contrary to what was expected, tourist arrivals rose by 4.8 per cent in April compared to last year, a new record. Arrivals from the UK increased by 5.4 per cent, while it was expected that numbers would drop due to the uncertainties surrounding Brexit.A passenger survey published on Friday by the statistical service shows that while 314,143 travellers arrived in April 2018, the number for this year was 329,308.For the period from January to April 2019 Read More

Ten-year plan for the mountains presented to president

The comprehensive ten-year strategy to develop the mountain regions which will cost €150 million was officially presented to President Nicos Anastasiades on Wednesday.The 18 studies comprising the strategy were presented by the commissioner for the development of the communities Yiannakis Papadouris and ministers and technical committees involved.The timetable, the proposed projects and the budgets were discussed.The plan involves mountain tourism, how to keep residents from leaving the region, the creation of new jobs and sustainable growth. Continue Read More

Cyprus property sales at eleven year high

Cyprus property sales in April reached the highest monthly figure recorded since September 2008 following a 61 per cent surge according to official figures from the Department of Lands and Surveys.APRIL saw a sharp rise in Cyprus property sales compared to the numbers sold in the corresponding month last year, with the number of contracts deposited at Land Registry offices up 61% according to the Department of Lands & Surveys.During April a total of 1,057 contracts were deposited Read More

Tourism revenue up despite drop in spending

Revenue from tourism rose 1 per cent to €92m in the first two months of the year despite a drop in per capita spending, the statistical service said on Wednesday.On a yearly basis, revenue from tourism fell slightly in February, from €52.7m to €52.4m. January saw a 3.2 per cent annual rise to €39.6m.Per capita spending in the first two months of the year dropped to €490.9 from €513.9 the previous year, Read More

Revenue from Ship-Management Companies Reaches €528M

The Cyprus Shpping Chamber has welcomed the results of the newest “Ship Management Report”, published by the Statistics Department of the Central Bank of Cyprus, for the second half of 2018, which covers the period 1 July – 31 December.The results indicate that industry revenues from Ship-management companies further increased during the second half of 2018, reaching €528 million, recording an increase of €22 million when compared with the first half of 2018, a percentage of 5% of Cyprus’s Read More

European Commission sees economic growth staying strong

Cyprus’ economic growth is expected to remain strong, driven by domestic demand, but downside risks are on the rise, according to the European Commission’s Spring Economic Forecasts, which were released on Tuesday.According to the forecast for the Cypriot economy, GDP will continue to grow at 3.9 per cent in 2018, 3.1 per cent in 2019, and 2.7 per cent in 2020. Unemployment will drop from 8.4 per cent last year to 6.7 per cent Read More

Perdios Satisfied with Contacts in China and Dubai

Deputy Minister for Tourism Savvas Perdios held contacts with Tourist Organizations in China and Dubai, in the context of the Ministry’s main objectives to attract tourist flows from distant destinations and the counties of the Persian Gulf and the Middle East which are considered suitable for short-term holidays to Cyprus.According to a press release issued by the Deputy Ministry, Perdios said he was absolutely satisfied with the results of the contacts both in China and Dubai.The contacts in Read More

Cyprus expects first gas output from Aphrodite field by 2025

By Devika Krishna KumarCyprus expects initial natural gas production from the Aphrodite field will begin between 2024 and 2025, Cyprus’ Minister of Energy Yiorgos Lakkotrypis said on Friday, after negotiations with operators and an ownership squabble delayed output.Cyprus’ Aphrodite was first discovered in 2011, but production has been delayed since as stakeholders Noble Energy, Israel’s Delek Drilling and Royal Dutch Shell renegotiate a production-sharing agreement with the government. Continue reading at source:  Cyprus Read More

Investment of Cypriot-Owned Businesses in Egypt Reaches $400M

The presence of companies linked to Cypriot interests in Egypt is deemed as particularly important, since, according to reports in the local financial press, their investments are said to amount to 400 million US dollars. These investments originate from 224 companies linked to Cypriot interests, which are active in Egypt, the Cyprus News Agency reports.A relevant reference is also made by the Office of Economic and Commercial Affairs of the Greek Embassy in Cairo, in its newsletter, following the Read More

Economic Sentiment Improves in April

Economic sentiment in Cyprus improved in April 2019 as the Economic Sentiment Indicator (ESI-CypERC) increased by 2.4 points compared with March 2019, the Economics Research Centre of the University of Cyprus has said.“The increase was driven by stronger business confidence in services and, to a smaller degree, confidence improvements in industry among consumers,” said the ERC.According to the survey, “the Services Confidence Indicator increased as a result of firms’ more positive assessments of past business situation and Read More

Industrial Turnover Increases by 12.6% in January

The Industrial Turnover Index for January 2019 reached 129.0 units (base 2015=100), recording an increase of 12.6% compared to January 2018, according to official data released by the Statistical Service of Cyprus.For Manufacturing, the index for January 2019 reached 124.2 units, recording an increase of 7.3% compared to January 2018. Source:  Gold News Read More

Panda City Development Plc Tops the Bidding Process for Elea Estate and Golf Course

Following a Bank of Cyprus invitation to tenders, Panda City Development Plc, based in the United Kingdom, ran up the highest bidders for the acquisition of the Elea Estate & Golf Course, offering 49 million euro.The process will be completed in around two months and Panda City Development estimates that the ensuing infrastructure will attract sale investments of over a billion euro in the next three years. The Elea Estate & Golf Course, situated in the Paphos area of Read More

House ratifies Cyprus-Egypt deal on subsea gas pipeline

An agreement between Cyprus and Egypt on a direct subsea natural gas pipeline between the two countries was ratified on Friday by the House plenary.The agreement was ratified with 34 votes in favour and 16 abstentions.The bill which was urgently tabled for a vote on Friday, was discussed earlier at parliamentary committee level.  Both MPs and actors involved said it was a “milestone” agreement.The bilateral agreement was signed in Nicosia on September 19, 2018 at the Read More

House Prices Up by 4.2% in the Euro Area and the EU

House prices, as measured by the House Price Index, rose by 4.2% in both the euro area and the EU in the fourth quarter of 2018 compared with the same quarter of the previous year. These figures come from Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union.Compared with the third quarter of 2018, house prices rose by 0.7% in the euro area and by 0.6% in the EU in the fourth quarter of 2018. Continue reading Read More

Aphrodite gas talks at 'advanced stage'

The Cyprus Hydrocarbons Company (CHC) is in “advanced talks” with Noble Energy and its partners over the renegotiation of the production-sharing contract for the Aphrodite gas reservoir, the organisation’s chairman said on Tuesday.Toula Onoufriou was speaking to reporters after a meeting with President Nicos Anastasiades, where she handed over a report recapping the CHC’s activities over the past five years.Other major challenges going forward, she said, included ongoing negotiations for a gas sale agreement between the Aphrodite partners Read More

Paphos Named the Most Popular District for Overseas Buyers and Investors

Paphos is in the lead as the most popular district for overseas buyers and investors especially from Europe and Non-Europeans for the period January- March 2019 by 40.6% in comparison to Limassol which follows with 29.7%.  Larnaca is 3rd with 17.2% and lastly Famagusta with 6.6% and Nicosia with just 5.6%.According to a press release issued by Leptos Estates, sales during the first quarter of 2019 rose 11% compared to the same period last year. Total sales Read More

DP World Limassol Welcomes the First Batch of Cruise Ships for The 2019 Season

The spring cruise season for 2019 has officially opened with four cruise ships arriving at DP World Limassol. On Thursday, 4th April 2019, Queen Mary 2, one of the largest cruise ships in the world and the impressive Costa Victoria arrived. Viking Jupiter made its maiden call on April 1st and AIDAblu along with MSC Lirica, berthed at DP World Limassol  on the 27th and 29th of March respectively.Over 7,000 passengers arrived in Limassol where the cruise ships berthed for one day transit Read More

Tourism revenue up 3.1 per cent in January

Revenue from tourism reached €39.6m in January 2019 compared with €38.4m in the same month of the previous year, recording an increase of 3.1 per cent, the statistical service said on Thursday.According to Cystat, expenditure per person per visit fell on average to €483.26 in January compared with €506.49 in the same month last year, a decrease of 4.6 per cent.Expenditure per person/per day fell by 3.5 per cent from €56. Read More

Paphos seeking to woo more Polish visitors

Representatives from the Paphos’ tourist sector will visit Poland next week to boost the district’s profile as an all-year tourist destination.The Paphos regional board of tourism, along with hoteliers from across the region will participate in workshops and presentations in three cities in Poland, Krakow, Katowice, and Varsovia, next week April 9-11, said a spokesman for the board.“These are important actions with the view to ensuring Paphos is an all-year tourist destination and the region is popular with Read More

Airport passenger growth boosting all-year tourism

Airport passenger numbers in January and February increased by 7.6 per cent compared to the same period last year, while a record number of almost 11 million passengers were handled by the island’s two airports last year.According to a new report by anna.aero (Airline Network News and Analysis) aviation experts, Cyprus’ aviation industry is showing strong signs of growth despite the adverse market conditions, such as the recent collapse of a number of airlines, including Cobalt, Germania Read More

Tender awarded for construction of City of Dreams casino resort

Integrated Casino Resort Cyprus (ICR) announced on Tuesday that it had awarded the tender for construction of Limassol’s City of Dreams Mediterranean Integrated Casino Resort to Avax – Terna JV – formerly known as J&P Avax – Terna JV)- a joint venture which is 60 per cent owned by AVAX SA and 40 per cent owned by Terna SA.According to the principal contract, construction is set to begin this month and is scheduled to be completed within 2021, ICR Read More

Pilides Aims at Establishing Cyprus as a Shipping Centre

Deputy Minister for Shipping Natasa Pilides is aiming at establishing Cyprus as a shipping center through a series of actions, which she informed the parliamentary Committee on Transport, Communications and Works about on Friday. During the Committee’s meeting and in statements afterwards, Pilides referred to actions which would lead to expanding Cyprus’ register, efforts to open the register to Asian shipping companies, securing Cyprus ranks first in systems to protect the environment, and attracting Cypriots to the sector’s jobs. Pilides Read More

Push to bring more German tourists, cabinet approves upping promotions (Updated)

The cabinet on Wednesday approved the upping of promotions and incentives to attract more German tourists as the industry hopes to maintain or increase somewhat on last year’s record of almost four million visitors given new challenges.Speaking after the cabinet meeting, Deputy Minister of Tourism. Savvas Perdios said that indications from the Berlin Tourism Fair were that there were challenges this year from the German market.“The German market is dominated by general insecurity, with perhaps fewer visitor arrivals numbers,” Read More

Cyprus and Portugal to Enhance Cooperation in Maritime Transport

Cyprus and Portugal have underlined their wish to further enhance their cooperation in the sector of maritime transport during an official visit by Deputy Minister of Shipping Natasa Pilides, in Lisbon, on March 20 and 21.Pilides had separate meetings with Portuguese Minister of the Sea Ana Paula Vitorin and the European Maritime Safety Agency`s Executive Director Maja Markovčić Kostelac, a press release issued by the press and information office, says.During the meeting with Vitorin matters of mutual interest Read More

Two thousand new tourist beds for the 2019 season

Around two thousand extra beds will be available this summer in the tourist resorts of free Famagusta.According to data from the Famagusta Tourism Development Board, this summer in the tourist resorts of the region, around two thousand more beds than in 2018 will be available to tourists.The director of the Famagusta Tourism Development Board, Lakis Avraamides, explained that the increase in the number of tourist beds is due to the operation of newly built hotels in addition to Read More

Invest Cyprus and Cyprus-East and South East Asia Business Association Explore Opportunities in Southeast Asian Market

The Cyprus Investment Promotion Agency (Invest Cyprus) and the Cyprus-East and South East Asia Business Association are exploring the investment and business opportunities opening up for Cyprus in the Southeast Asian market.The two are holding a joint event on the matter, on Thursday 21 March 2019 at Hilton Park in Nicosia under the title “Exploring Business Avenues in East and South East Asia”, with keynote speaker, Nikos Christodoulides, Minister of Foreign Affairs.In a statement, George Campanellas, Director General Read More

Cyprus in Talks with EIB for €150M Financing of Natural Gas Infrastructure

Finance Minister Harris Georgiades has said that the government is in talks with the European Investment Bank (EIB) over financing of the order of €150 million for the construction of infrastructure which in order for natural gas to be transported in Cyprus.On his part EIB President Werner Hoyer confirmed that that and appeared optimistic that the credit institution will be able to take part in the project, the Cyprus News Agency reports.Georgiades and Hoyer were talking during a Read More

CI: Cyprus' Sovereign Rating Upgraded and Outlook Remains Positive

Capital Intelligence Ratings (CI Ratings or CI), the international credit rating agency, announced that it has upgraded the Republic of Cyprus’ Long-Term Foreign Currency (LT FC) Issuer Rating to ‘BB+’ from ‘BB’ and affirmed its Short-Term Foreign Currency (ST FC) Rating at ‘B’. The Outlook for the Long-Term ratings remains Positive. RATING RATIONALEThe rating upgrade reflects the continued strong performance of the economy, as well as improving public finances and the ongoing recovery of the banking sector. In addition, legislative Read More

Tourist Arrivals Increase by 4% in February

On the basis of the results of the Passengers Survey, arrivals of tourists reached 105,571 in February 2019 compared to 101,481 in February 2018, recording an increase of 4.0%. February 2019 had the highest volume of tourist arrivals ever recorded in Cyprus during the specific month.For the period of January – February 2019 arrivals of tourists totaled 187,541 compared to 177,348 in the corresponding period of 2018, recording an increase of 5.7% and outnumbering the total arrivals Read More

Diplomatic Delegation Visits Ayia Napa Marina

International diplomats, comprised of financial and commercial representatives from various foreign embassies in Athens, in collaboration with the Enterprise Greece organization under the auspices of the Embassy of Cyprus in Athens, visited the construction site of the iconic Ayia Napa Marina on March 15th, 2019. The visit took place within the framework of a wider initiative to enhance and promote business opportunities in Cyprus.The high-profile visitors were welcomed by Stavros Caramondanis, CEO of M.M Makronisos Marina Ltd, who Read More

Exports in January 2019 Reach €532M

On the basis of preliminary estimates for the foreign trade of Cyprus in January 2019, total imports were €803.6 mn as compared to €621.9 mn in January 2018. Imports from other EU Member States in January 2019 were €363.3 mn as compared to €382.8 mn in January 2018. Imports from Third Countries in January 2019 were €440.3 mn as compared to €239.0 mn in January 2018. Total exports in January 2019 were €532.0 Read More

Perdios: Cyprus Aims to Maintain the Same Number of Tourists as in 2018

Deputy Minister for Tourism Savvas Perdios has said that Cyprus is aiming to maintain the same numbers of tourists as in the previous year with the right marketing and joint efforts by all stakeholders in the tourism industry."With joint efforts we will be at the same levels as last year," he told Cyprus News Agency after the conclusion of his contacts at the ITB Tourism Fair in Berlin, where Cyprus, as he noted, gave its best.Cyprus recorded the Read More

Revenue-sharing talks for Aphrodite gas find going well

Talks aimed at recalibrating the revenue-sharing agreement for the Aphrodite gas reservoir appear to be going well, reports said on Tuesday.Daily Politis said progress was made during the latest round of negotiations held last week between the government and the consortium (Noble Energy, Delek, Shell) holding the concession on Aphrodite.The paper reported that sometime in the next few days Noble – the operator – is expected to come back with a revised production-sharing agreement. The government will then Read More

Upbeat vision of gas future in wake of block 10 find

The gas find in Glafcos (Glaucus) 1 well in Block 10 of the island’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) is expected to yield large revenues, the energy minister Giorgos Lakkotrypis said on Wednesday.Speaking at the Sixth Eastern Mediterranean Gas Conference in Nicosia, Lakkotrypis said in the coming weeks further work to confirm the ExxonMobil discovery, which was announced on 28 February to be between 5-8 trillion cubic feet (tcf), will be necessary.Further discoveries in the Calypso well in Block Read More

Gas discovery puts Cyprus on the map, president says

The natural gas discovery in an offshore field inside the island exclusive economic zone (EEZ) has put Cyprus on the map with strong footholds, President Nicos Anastasiades said on Friday.“We need to be serious,” he told reporters following a national council meeting. “It is, of course, a joyful event that puts Cyprus on the map with strong footholds.”His comments came a day after ExxonMobil announced a gas find estimated between 5-8 trillion cubic feet in an offshore field Read More

Revenue from tourism up 2.7% in 2018

Revenue from tourism rose to a new high in 2018 according to data released on Friday by the Statistical Service.For January – December 2018 revenue from tourism is estimated at €2,710.6 million compared to €2,639.1 million in 2017, an increase of 2.7 per cent.However, the expenditure per person reached €688.22 compared to €722.62 the previous year, a decrease of 4.8 per cent. The expenditure per person/per day for 2018 compared to 2017 Read More

The 9th Nicosia Economic Congress

Over the recent past years, Cyprus has performed remarkably, delivering an impressive turnaround as unemployment continues to fall and economic growth continues to rise. And these positive trends have been reflected in repeated upgrades by all major international credit rating agencies. Gold magazine and the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Cyprus (ICPAC) are proud to announce the organization of the 9th Nicosia Economic Congress on April 18, 2019 at the Hilton Park Hotel in Nicosia.This year’s economic congress aims Read More

Anastasiades arrives in Sharm el Sheikh for EU-Arab League Summit (Updated)

President of Egypt Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has expressed his gratitude to President Nicos Anastasiades for his contribution in establishing relations between his country and the EU.Anastasiades who arrived Sunday at the Egyptian resort of Sharm el Sheikh for the first EU-Arab league Summit, was received by President Sisi in the morning. President Anastasiades told the press that the Egyptian President expressed absolute support to his initiative on climate change. He described the meeting as warm and productive which covered Read More

International hydrocarbons interest in Cyprus confirmed

Dr Charles EllinasThe biggest and most important hydrocarbons conference and exhibition in Egypt and the East Med region, EGYPS 2019, took place in Cairo earlier this month, and Cyprus took part with a country pavilion showing the Cyprus Hydrocarbons Company (CHC) and natural gas public company (DEFA) among others.In a wide-ranging interview about the conference, Egypt’s Petroleum Minister Tarek El Molla spoke about the country’s oil and gas achievements in 2018 and plans for 2019. The great success of Read More

New Profiler Published on Large-Scale Projects in Cyprus

The Large Investment Projects Association has published and circulated to the international markets a new Profiler for large-scale investment projects with a total value of €8b, in order to promote Cyprus as an ideal investment destination.The primary objective of the new Profiler is to enhance the business environment of Cyprus and attract foreign direct investment, which is necessary for the completion and development of specific projects. The 21 large-scale development projects that are presented in the Profiler include among Read More

Tourist Arrivals up by 8% in January Due to Increase in UK Flow

The significant increase in arrivals mainly from the United Kingdom has boosted tourist arrivals in Cyprus in January 2019.The Travelers Survey conducted by the Statistical Service of Cyprus and published on Monday, showed that arrivals of tourists in January 2019 reached 81,970 compared to 75,867 in January 2018, recording an increase of 8.0% and were the highest ever recorded in January. Arrivals from the United Kingdom increased by 17.6% in January 2019 compared to January 2018 from Read More

Pilides: Sharp Rise in Companies Since the Deputy Ministry was set up

Cyprus has seen a significant increase in the number of companies that choose the island for their operations in the shipping sector since the set-up of the Deputy Ministry for Shipping, a year ago, Deputy Minister Natasa Pilides has said. Pilides appeared optimistic over the future of shipping in Cyprus, during a reception for ship owners and representatives of shipping companies hosted by the Deputy Ministry for Shipping, in Limassol, on Thursday. The Deputy Ministry, Pilides noted, has been working Read More

Cabinet Approves Changes in Cyprus Investment Program

The Cabinet approved Wednesday 13 February a series of changes to make the Cyprus Investment Program even more targeted and trustworthy, Finance Minister Harris Georgiades said. In statements at the Presidential Palace, the Minister of Finance said that the Cabinet was informed Wednesday about the results of an economic impact study in relation to the Cyprus Investment Program. Since the start of the project in 2013, 1864 cases of naturalization have been approved and 6.6 transactions have been made. Read More

Egypt-Cyprus deal on Aphrodite field is attracting great investor interest

The intergovernmental agreement signed between Egypt and Cyprus for Aphrodite gas field resulted to great interest from International oil companies, down-streamers and financial institutions, Egypt’s Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Tarek El-Molla said.In an interview with CNA, the Egyptian minister said that after the important umbrella agreement for building a gas pipeline between the two countries, discussions are now taking place to accelerate the process after completing the constitutional and legal procedures in each country, which should then Read More

Paphos Has the Lead in Sales to Overseas Property Buyers in 2018

The area of Paphos, one of the most beautiful regions in the Mediterranean, has once again come out on top for attracting the majority of European and Non-European buyers and entrepreneurs. The town of Paphos and the entire picturesque province is the safest and most secure area on the Island, where one can live, work and holiday.Paphos had the lead in purchase contracts to overseas buyers, especially from Europe, for the whole of 2018 by 40.4 % in comparison to Limassol which follows Read More

EC: Cyprus' GDP Expected to Reach 3.3% in 2019

Cyprus’ GDP growth is expected to reach 3.8% in 2018 following 4.2% in 2017, according to the winter interim economic forecast, issued today by the European Commission. According to the forecast GDP growth is expected at 3.3% in 2019 and 2.7% in 2020. Meanwhile inflation is expected at 0.8% for 2018, 0.7% for 2019 and 1.2% for 2020. In 2019 and 2020, growth is projected to slow down to 3.3% and 2.7%, Read More

Tourist Arrivals Increase by 9.9% in December 2018

The arrivals of travelers in December 2018 reached 234,214 compared to 213,082 in December 2017, recording an increase of 9.9%. The increase is mainly attributed to the arrivals of tourists (7.7%) and to the return of the residents of Cyprus (10.2%). An increase in the arrivals of travelers (3.3%) was also recorded in November 2018 when travelers reached 261,765, according to official data released by the Statistical Service of Cyprus.Concerning the departures of travelers, an Read More

Cabinet approves bill for Egypt pipeline deal

The cabinet on Thursday approved a bill governing an inter-state agreement with Egypt for the construction of a subsea natural gas pipeline crossing through the exclusive economic zones of the two nations.The legislation follows through from, and sanctions, the inter-state pipeline agreement signed between Cyprus and Egypt in September 2018.Energy minister Giorgos Lakkotrypis was authorised to submit the bill to parliament. Continue reading at source:  Cyprus Read More

How will property values change in 2019?

The Cyprus property portal Zyprus, which enables business to advertise their properties for sale and rent, has recently added a forecasting tool that helps owners of property assess how its value may change in 2019.FOLLOWING the rising demand in the Cypriot property market, a question that naturally arises is how much will property prices in Cyprus change in 2019?The Zyprus.com ZyForecast tool provides a starting point to gauge how much the price of the residential units by Read More

Short-term lettings, real estate & tourism

Short-term Airbnb style property lettings will have a positive impact on the Cyprus real estate market and tourism industry, but balanced legislation is needed to ensure those positive impacts are achieved.THE TREND in short-term lettings in Cyprus is gaining ground in 2019 and in the wider region in countries such as Israel and Greece. Since 2018 there has been a significant increase in the number of properties listed for short-term rent on Airbnb and other rental platforms; the response Read More

Motor vehicle sales rise for fifth consecutive year

Motor vehicles sales in Cyprus rose by 13.3 per cent in 2018 marking the fifth consecutive annual increase since 2014.According to data released by the Cyprus Statistical Service (Cystat), total new registration of motor vehicles reached 49,450 in 2018 compared with 43,640 the year before, reaching the highest point in the last ten years.Sales of passenger saloon cars rose by 12.8 per cent in 2018 amounting to 40,683 cars compared with 36,067 in 2017. Of the Read More

Cyprus: Real Estate Market 2018 - 2019

By Panos Danos, Danos Group    January 07, 2019 - Cyprus is seeing new office developments to accommodate expanding local and new International companies - Increasing demand for Grade A office premises- Government incentives are stimulating investment for development sites and income producing assets - Residential Rents are on the rise Increasing demand for Grade A office premisesNicosia, being the capital and financial centre of Cyprus, is home to the public sector and most of the large businesses operating on the island. Traditionally, office Read More

Economic Climate Improves in December 2018

The economic climate improved in December 2018 by 3.4 points, assisted by the improvement of the business climate in services and manufacturing industry. The Economic Sentiment Indicator, composed by the Economics Research Centre of the University of Cyprus, stood during the last month of 2018 at 118.6 points, compared to 115.2 points in November 2018. The Index reached a record high on January 2018 with 119.8 points. According to the Economics Research Centre, the Index reached Read More

Revenue From Tourism Up By 6% in October 2018

Revenue from tourism reached €293,8 mn in October 2018 compared to €277,1 mn in the corresponding month of the previous year, recording an increase of 6,0%, according to the results of the Passenger Survey, published on Monday by the Statistical Service. Between January – October 2018 revenue from tourism stood at €2.562,3 mn compared with €2.493,8 mn in the corresponding period of 2017, recording an increase of 2,7%, said Cystat. Continue reading at source:  Gold News Read More

Businesses moderately optimistic over economic growth

Cypriot businesses are facing the new year with optimism as regards prospects for growth but remain concerned over red tape and energy prices, the chamber of commerce (Keve) said on Thursday.Keve announced the Cyprus-related results of a pan-European survey carried out by chambers of commerce on the business climate in Europe held towards the end of each year.The survey covered over 45,000 businesses in 26 countries.“The findings for Cyprus showed increased but moderate optimism for 2019 confirming Read More

Cyprus GDP Grows by 3.7% in Q3

GDP growth rate in real terms, during the third quarter of 2018, is estimated at 3.7% over the corresponding quarter of 2017, according to data released on Friday by the Statistical Service of Cyprus.Based on seasonally and working day adjusted data, GDP growth rate in real terms is also estimated at 3.7%. Continue reading at source:  Gold News Read More

Air traffic growth in Cyprus double the EU average

Air traffic to and from Cyprus increased by 14.3 per cent from 2016 to 2017, nearly double the EU average of 7.3 per cent, a Eurostat report published on Thursday revealed.For the first time, the numbers surpassed 10 million in Cyprus, reaching 10,239,000. While 6,811,000 of those travelling to and from Cyprus travelled within the EU, another 3,428,000 flew to other destinations.2017 was also the first year more than one billion travelled by air in the Read More

Vassiliki Anastassiadou: Cyprus will be Included in Major Road Projects Funded by the EU

Cyprus will be included in the EU funding scheme for major road projects in the upcoming planning period 2021-2027, Minister of Transport, Communications and Public Works Vassiliki Anastassiadou, said speaking to the Press And Information Office (PIO) after the conclusion of the marathon Transport Ministers Council and just before the start of the telecoms meeting this morning in Brussels.The road funding project is of course part of the next multiannual financial framework (2021-27), for which discussions continue between the Read More

Michael: Foreign Investment is Key for LongTerm Economic Growth

In the framework of this year’s Annual General Meeting, the Cyprus Investment Promotion Agency (Invest Cyprus) pledged to continue working tirelessly to promote Cyprus as an attractive investment destination and business centre of excellence.Invest Cyprus’ Annual General Meeting took place in the presence of the President of the Republic, Nicos Anastasiades, members of the Council of Ministers, businesspeople, foreign investors and diplomats. In his welcome address, the President congratulated Invest Cyprus for its work, underlining that Cyprus’ return to Read More

Panel discussion: growth strategies for Greece and Cyprus

The Hellenic Observatory in collaboration with the school of economics and management of the University of Cyprus and with the support of the LSE alumni association of Cyprus, is organising a panel discussion on ‘Development strategies for Greece and Cyprus’.As economies have begun to recover and started growing again after the painful crisis that both Greece and Cyprus went through, the speakers will focus on the countries’ growth prospects and on the priorities for economic policy and reforms. Continue Read More

Anastasiades: Tourism in Cyprus will Continue its Upward Trend

The tourist industry in Cyprus is on the rise President of Cyprus Nicos Anastasiades has said, pointing out that it can face all the challenges that arise and can strengthen its competitive advantages. He also expressed his confidence that the growth rate of 4% recorded will remain high. The President addressed on Saturday evening an event organized by the Association of Hotelier Managers (PASYDIXE) in Limassol. The President praised the actions of the leaders of the tourist industry saying that Read More

EastMed pipeline deal to be reached very soon government says

Cyprus is very close to reaching an agreement with the countries involved in the construction of the East Med pipeline to transfer natural gas from the Eastern Mediterranean to Europe, a government source said on Sunday.The government source was commenting on reports in The Times of Israel this week, which, citing reports of Hadashot TV, said that Greece, Italy, and Cyprus have reached an agreement with Israel to lay a pipeline connecting the latter’s gas reserves to the three countries to supply Read More

Island's economy now in growth phase says Hellenic

Cyprus’ macroeconomic outlook is positive with growth expected to reach 4 per cent in 2018 and 3.9 per cent in 2019, Hellenic Bank said on Tuesday.In its review for the fourth quarter of the year, Hellenic’s department of economic research said the island’s phase of recovery from the 2013 collapse has passed and the economy was now entering its growth phase.In a news release, the bank said it expects a positive macroeconomic outlook accompanied by “a significant Read More

US supports Cyprus' right to develop its natural wealth

By George Psyllides US Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Resources Francis Fannon reiterated his government’s support to the Republic of Cyprus’ right to develop its natural wealth, adding that his country promotes energy developments in the Eastern Mediterranean region as a matter of priority.Fannon, who was visiting Energy Minister Giorgos Lakkotrypis, made the comments came as ExxonMobil and Qatar Petroleum started drilling in block 10 of Cyprus’ Exclusive Economic Zone.The American diplomat said his visit was part of Read More

Lakkotrypis Holds Talks with Big Energy Firms in London

The Minister for Energy Yiorgos Lakkotrypis has held meetings in London with international energy firms that are involved in gas production at the Republic of Cyprus’ Exclusive Economic Zone, the Cyprus News Agency understands.Lakkotrypis has been in the UK capital since the beginning of the week to lead the Cypriot delegation at this year’s World Travel Market, under his capacity as Minister for Tourism. Continue reading at source:  Gold News Read More

Ship Management Generates 5.1% of Cyprus GDP in H1

The Cyprus ship management industry in the first half of 2018 generated revenue of EUR506m ($571m), or 5.1% of the island nation's GDP, the highest level in five years. The result consolidated Cyprus ship management as the world¹s third largest hub while the maritime cluster contributes around 7% to the island¹s GDP.Income was up EUR30m in the January / June period compared to the same 2017 period as global shipping and freight markets continue to recover from the Read More

Hotel projects grow as Airbnb is to be regulated

New hotels are sustaining a construction industry boom as hoteliers also go ahead with renovations and expansions, despite challenges posed by private self-service accommodation units.ACCORDING to data released by the Cyprus Statistical Service, hotels are at the heart of the progress the building sector is witnessing. New hotels, refurbishments and expansion projects have multiplied by eight times in the first seven months of the year, compared to the same period in 2017. From January to July, hotel projects corresponding Read More

9th Limassol Economic Forum Current Issues on Economics Politics Business in Europe and Beyond

IMH and IN Business magazine are organizing The 9th Limassol Economic Forum on Friday, 19 October 2018 at the Four Seasons Hotel in Limassol, Cyprus. This is considered to be the biggest and most prestigious business gathering in Cyprus with renowned personalities presenting every year.The Limassol Economic Forum is a much anticipated annual event where the latest trends and developments in global politics and economies in Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean are discussed. The Forum engages political, economic, business and academic leaders alike in wide-ranging presentations that Read More

Government to continue work to consolidate sustainable development assures Cyprus President

President of the Republic of Cyprus Nicos Anastasiades assured Thursday 11 October that Government will continue to work with the same determination and responsibility to consolidate sustainable development of the economy and to boost the excellent prospects of Cyprus’ main productive sectors, in his speech at an official dinner of Cyprus Employers and Industrial Federation.He also said that upgrading of research and innovation issues under a Deputy Ministry, would significantly contribute to the necessary modernization of the sector.The Read More

Four firms express interest in gas pipeline

Four major investment firms have expressed an interest in financing the construction of a pipeline that would transport natural gas from Cyprus to Egypt, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday.The banks and investment houses asked the Cypriot government for more information on the progress of the Aphrodite reservoir, whose gas Royal Dutch Shell Plc is considering buying for its facility in Egypt, Sofronis Papageorgiou, head of commercial affairs at the Cypriot embassy in Israel told Bloomberg, though he declined to disclose Read More

FM says deal close to export gas to Egypt

The consortium with the licence on the Aphrodite gas field in block 12 is “very close” to a deal to export natural gas to a liquefaction terminal in Egypt, Foreign Minister Nicos Christodoulides has said.Speaking to an Egyptian newspaper, Christodoulides said the companies – Noble Energy, Delek and Shell – are in talks with an LNG facility in Egypt, adding that negotiations have reached “an advanced state and are nearing completion.”He did not provide more details.Last month Read More

IMF Upgrades Cypriot Economy Growth Projections

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has significantly upgraded its projections on the Cypriot economy`s growth for 2018 and 2019 at the World Economic Outlook published this October, expecting a growth rate of 4.0% and 4.2% respectively.For 2019 in particular, the IMF’s review is greater by 1.2 percentage units while for 2018 it is higher by 0.4 of a percentage unit, compared to the spring projections published last April. The international body expected then that the Read More

Cabinet looking for gas licensees for Block 7 (Updated)

The energy minister announced on Monday Cyprus will be seeking bidders for a €300m project to facilitate natural gas imports and will also invite energy companies to express interest in another offshore field inside the island’s exclusive economic zone.Yiorgos Lakkotrypis said the cabinet had approved the tender documents for the projects, which will be published immediately.“It concerns the creation of the necessary infrastructure to import liquified natural gas to Cyprus, at an estimated cost of around €300m,” he Read More

'Cypriot economy out of 2013 cardiac arrest'

Cyprus’ economy has come out of the 2013 “cardiac arrest” and posted four years of growth, Bank of Cyprus CEO John Patrick Hourican said in an interview with Bloomberg television on Friday night, a statement echoed both by the Hellenic Bank CEO Ioannis Matsis and Finance Minister Harris Georgiades in similar interviews.Asked why now is the right time to invest in Cyprus, Hourican said: “We moved from a junk status backed to investment grade.”He added that the island’s Read More

Limassol gearing up for winter cruise visitors

Limassol municipality announced on Friday it was organising welcome events at the port to greet the thousands of cruise ship passengers expected to visit the cosmopolitan resort during the fall.During a press conference at the Municipal Palace, the Mayor of Limassol, Nicos Nicolaides, said that around 13,000 tourists are expected to participate in these events. The aim is to help develop cruise tourism.The main theme of the events, scheduled to take place between September 17 and November 19 Read More

Economy expands 39 per cent in Q2 Cystat says

The economy expanded in the second quarter of this year 3.9 per cent compared to the same period of 2017, the statistical service said on Monday.Compared to the first quarter, economic output rose in April to June 0.8 per cent in real terms. The seasonally adjusted growth rate in the second quarter was also 3.9 per cent. Continue readng at source:  Cyprus Read More

More hotels open for winter tourism in Paphos

Ten per cent more hotel beds will be available in Paphos for the upcoming winter season compared to last year’s figures, officials said on Tuesday.Head of the Paphos regional board of tourism Nasos Hadjigeorgiou, told the Cyprus Mail that this is just one of the many positive steps being implemented with the aim of re-establishing Paphos as an all year round tourist destination.“The entire region is on the right track and the priority for us now is that Read More

Real estate transactions up 14 per cent in August

The number of property transactions rose in August an annual 14 per cent to 653 mainly on a strong performance of the property market in Limassol, the Department of Lands and Surveys said on Monday.The number of properties that changed owner in the Limassol district rose 30 per cent last month to 262 compared to August 2017. Continue reading at source:  Cyprus Read More

CBC: Cypriot Banks Expect Growth in Demand for New Loans

Cyprus banks foresee a continued rise in demand for new loans both by households and companies in the coming months, according to the Bank Lending Survey complied by the Central Bank of Cyprus for the second quarter of 2018.According to the expectations of banks in Cyprus and in the euro area for the third quarter of 2018, net demand for new loans is expected to increase further in all loan categories.“The expectations for further increase in the net Read More

Georgiades The Growth Rate of 3.9% Proves The Hard Work of our Productive Forces

Cyprus Economy has recorded 3.9% of growth rates in the second quarter of 2018, according to the Flash Estimate of the Statistical Service, compared to the corresponding quarter of 2017. After correcting GDP in terms of seasonal fluctuations and working days, the growth rate is calculated + 3.9%.Growth rates are mainly attributable to the domains of "Hotels and Restaurants", "Retail and Wholesale", "Construction", "Processing", "Professional, Scientific and Technical Activities" and "Administrative and Support Activities". A negative growth Read More

Building permit expected soon for Troodos observatory

Construction of the observatory in Troodos is expected to start in the near future, with the building permit expected to be issued soon, the Cyprus News Agency reported on Wednesday.The site of the astronomical research centre on top of a 1,200 metre hill near Agridia, Chandria, was chosen because there is little light pollution, and humidity is usually at low levels.Agridia is considered to be a convenient location, as it is a 45-minute drive from both Limassol and Read More

Nicosia Mall 100% Occupancy

The wait for Nicosia’s most ambitious retail landmark is soon to be over and its impressive space is rightfully promising. With 100% of its real estate already booked by leading brands, Nicosia Mall is now set to deliver on its mission to offer an elevated one-stop destination. Its masterfully blended brand-mix and carefully planned area will surely translate into a brand-new fashion, food and fun experience for the young, old and everyone in between.SHOPPING MADE PHENOMENALWith shopping at the Read More

Cruise Industry a Driver of Tourism Growth

The cruise industry is steadily rising internationally, as a key driver of tourism growth, while the tourism sector is of vital importance to the Cyprus economy. According to a recent study by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), tourism is expected to become the cornerstone of the Cyprus economy, contributing 29% to the country’s GDP by 2028.The Mediterranean region has always been a popular choice for tourists, with cruise travellers taking up an important share of the tourism Read More

Energean gas offer to Cyprus

By Charles EllinasGreek oil and gas company Energean is seeking approval from the Cyprus government to build a pipeline from its Israeli offshore gas fields and import 0.5 to 1 billion cubic metres (bcm) of gas per year to the island, Reuters news agency reported this week.Such a deal would help Cyprus meet its obligations to switch to cleaner energy such as natural gas and renewables by 2020 if it is to avoid hefty fines by the European Read More

Building Permits Up By 144 in April

The number of building permits issued this April compared to last April was up by 14.4%, data released by the Cyprus Statistical Service show. At the same time, an increase of 6.6% is recorded during the first four months of this year. The number of building permits issued by local authorities this April was 469, compared to 410 in April 2017, recording an increase of 14.4%. The total value of these permits was up by €17 million Read More

Anastasiades Discusses Totals Energy Plans in Cyprus EEZ

French energy giant TOTAL’s plans in Cyprus’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ) were discussed during a meeting President Nicos Anastasiades had with chairman and CEO of the company, Patrick Pouyanne, in Paris, on June 30. The President was in the French capital to attend the Pantheon burial of Simon Veil, Holocaust survivor and women’s rights icon who passed away a year ago at age 89.Government Spokesman Prodromos Prodromou, who attended the meeting along with Energy Minister Yiorgos Lakkotrypis, told the Read More

President meets Total chief in Paris

Total’s energy programme was discussed during a meeting in Paris between President Nicos Anastasiades and the general director of the company Patrick Pouyanne, during which he reiterated Total’s interest in increasing its presence in Cyprus.Government Spokesman Prodromos Prodromou said during the meeting on Saturday evening “the company’s commitment to Cyprus was repeated”. Continue reading at source:  Cyprus Read More

Marios Kalochoritis An Insight into The Capitals Newest Commercial Landmark

Nicosia Mall is one of the most significant projects currently under construction in the capital and its completion and official launch are eagerly awaited. The Chairman of Nicosia Mall Holdings (ΝΜH), Marios Kalochoritis, Senior Advisor to the CEO of Bank of Cyprus and a former Member of the Bank’s Board of Directors, explains how an abandoned project is being transformed into an ultra-modern shopping centre and offers his insight on the positive impact it is expected to have on the Read More

Anastasiades Cyprus Economy is on the Right Track

President Nicos Anastasiades spoke at the 7th CIPA International Investment Awards on June 19 about the importance of investment in Cyprus.“I feel obliged to express my gratitude to our valued investors for their vote of confidence and trust, for their ongoing support and determination to develop their businesses in our country, in line with our common vision: to establish Cyprus as a prosperous, reliable and competitive business hub, keen on providing the conditions under which any investor can thrive,” Read More

Award ceremony for top foreign investors

Six foreign investors were acknowledged for their contribution to the economy during this year’s Cyprus Investment Promotion Agency (Invest Cyprus) awards, while a seventh was given an honorary award.The awards ceremony was held in Nicosia on Tuesday night, attended by President Nicos Anastasiades and some of his cabinet including Energy Minister Giorgos Lakkotrypis and Finance Minister Harris Georgiades.The winners of the awards were Olympia Group, which has various and wide-ranging investments, US energy giants ExxonMobil, Limassol port operators Read More

Action plan for Troodos ready by the autumn president promises

A national strategy to rejuvenate endangered Troodos communities will be ready by September at the latest and will start being implemented immediately, President Nicos Anastasiades pledged on Monday.He was addressing a conference of 26 academics and specialists called to formulate a plan over the future of the Troodos mountains. Two more gatherings of scientific and technical groups within the next two months are expected to determine the basis for the detailed action plan for Troodos.As a first step, Read More

Total Value of Building Permits Reach €162.8M

The Statistical Service has announced that the number of building permits authorized by the municipal authorities and the district administration offices during March 2018 stood at 531. The total value of these permits reached €162.8 million and the total area 146.1 thousand square metres. These building permits provide for the construction of 467 dwelling units.During the period January – March 2018, 1.515 building permits were issued compared to 1.451 in the corresponding period of the Read More

Cyprus GDP Grows 4 in Q1 2018

Cyprus' GDP increased by 4% in the first quarter of 2018, over the corresponding quarter of 2017, higher than the initial estimation.According to data released by the Statistical Service of Cyprus, the growth rate of the economy in the first quarter of 2018 is positive and is estimated at 4% based on seasonally and working day adjusted data, compared to the corresponding quarter of 2017.Continue reading at source Gold News Read More

Christodoulides welcomes Exxons intention to speed up drilling plans

Foreign Minister Nicos Christodoulides has welcomed ExxonMobil’s intention to accelerate procedures ahead of scheduled offshore drillings in Cyprus’ exclusive economic zone.Asked about his recent meeting with ExxonMobil’s Vice President, Tristan Asprey, in the presence of Energy Minister Giorgos Lakkotrypis, where they discussed geopolitical developments, Christodoulides said that energy planning was going as planned. He added that during the meeting, the company expressed its intention to speed up the process.ExxonMobil’s Vice President for Europe, Russia Caspian and Asia Pacific Read More

Economy expands 4 in Q1 Cystat says

By Stelios OrphanidesCyprus’s economy expanded 4 per cent in the first quarter of 2018 compared to the respective three-month period last year and 1 per cent compared to the quarter before, the statistical service said.In January to March, economic output rose a seasonally adjusted 4 per cent compared to the respective period of 2017, Cystat said in a statement on its website on Friday.On May 15, Cystat announced its preliminary estimate of an annual growth rate of 3. Read More

Revenue from Tourism Reaches 110M in March 2018

On the basis of the results of the Passenger Survey, revenue from tourism reached €110.0 mn in March 2018 compared to €86.1 mn in the corresponding month of the previous year, recording an increase of 27.8%.For the period of January – March 2018 revenue from tourism is estimated at €201.1 mn compared to €168.1 mn in the corresponding period of 2017, recording an increase of 19.6%.The expenditure per person for March 2018 Read More

PwC Cyprus Sponsor of the 1st Business Ethos Awards

As part of its effort to support Cypriot businesses, PwC Cyprus actively supported the 1st Business Ethos Awards, which were organised on 23 May by the Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) and the Cyprus Integrity Forum. The aim of the awards is to promote transparency and integrity in the business sector, but also to recognise and reward the effort made by businesses to eradicate corruption.Addressing the award ceremony, PwC Cyprus CEO Evgenios Evgeniou said: “PwC’s participation in Read More

Bank of Cyprus Posts 43M Profit in Q1 2018

Bank of Cyprus Holdings recorded profit after tax of €43 million, and earnings per share of 10 cents for the quarter ended 31 March 2018, according to Group financial results released on May 29.The stock of Non Performing Exposures (NPEs) was reduced by €454 mn to €8.3 bn. That was the twelfth consecutive quarter of material NPE reduction. The overall stock of NPEs was reduced by 44% since December 2014. Coverage levels against non performing exposures increased to Read More

Nicosia Mall 25 Million Investment in the Road Network

The anticipation around the capital’s newest retail landmark is gaining momentum, while the upgraded road network that will ensure easier access to and from the mall is nearing completion.Armed with the goal of creating a shopping centre with international credentials, Nicosia Mall’s management is not only investing in the experience it will offer within its sophisticated facilities – it has also taken it upon itself to develop a proper road infrastructure that will ensure the safety and convenience of Read More

Council of Ministers to discuss the Strategic Framework for Fiscal Policy

Finance Minister Harris Georgiades will submit, on Monday, to the Council of Ministers the 2019-2021 Strategic Framework for Fiscal Policy (SFFP) outlining the government’s basic guidelines on fiscal policy for the next three years.The document kick starts the process for the drafting of the 2019 state budget and the Medium Term Budgetary Framework for the period of 2019-2021.Continue reading at source Cyprus Read More

Tourist arrivals up 97 in April Cystat says

By Stelios OrphanidesTourist arrivals rose 9.7 per cent in April, to 314,143, compared to a year before on a strong performance of a number of secondary markets, the statistical service said.Arrivals from the UK, from which Cyprus traditionally attracts the bulk of incoming tourist flow, rose an annual 4.1 per cent last month, to 110,689, while those from Russia, the second most important source of tourism, rose 4.3 per cent, to 49,040, Cystat said in a Read More

Prodromou sees economic growth at 4 full employment by 2021

By Stelios OrphanidesGovernment spokesman Prodromos Prodromou said he expects the economy will expand this year by around 4 per cent before returning to full employment conditions in “two or three years”.“It is the thirteenth consecutive quarter since the first quarter of 2015 that the has economy grown,” the economist-politician told reporters in Nicosia on Tuesday, hours after Cystat posted its preliminary estimate of 3.8 per cent growth rate for January to March. “We have steady and robust growth, Read More

Revenue from Tourism Rises in February

Revenue from tourism rose to €52,7 mn in February 2018 compared to €46,6 mn in the corresponding month of the previous year, recording a significant increase of 13.1%, on the basis of the results of the Passenger Survey, published by the Statistical Service on Friday 11 May. For the period of January – February 2018 revenue from tourism increased to €91,1 mn compared to €82,0 mn in the same period last year, recording an increase of 11.1%.Continue Read More

Paphos woos reporters to promote Ryanair Jordan route

PAPHOS is hosting a group of prominent journalists and bloggers from Amman in Jordan to highlight the new flights connecting the two cities.Head of the Paphos regional board of tourism, Nasos Hadjigeorgiou said that the visit which started on Wednesday is co-organised with Ryanair which operates the new flights.The guests will see important sites including the archaeological park in Kato Paphos, the recently renovated Paphos old town and will venture further afield to Polis and Latchi.The tourism Read More

Shaner Italia CS Hospitality form Joint Venture for Expansion in Greece Cyprus

Europe-based hotel owner and operator Shaner Italia, a division of The Shaner Hotel Group, has entered into a joint venture with Athens, Greece-based CS Hospitality to expand their hotel operations in Greece and Cyprus. “Focusing on a much-needed, high-end global hospitality experience is very timely. Greece is expecting over 30 million visitors this year,” Andreas Contos, CEO of CS Hospitality, said in a statement. Shaner Italia plans to expand its footprint in the Mediterranean region through its JV with CS Read More

Cyprus and Egypt close to signing gas deal says minister

Cyprus and Egypt are close to signing an agreement for connecting the Aphrodite gas field to the North African country, Energy minister Giorgos Lakkotrypis said on Monday.Lakkotrypis, who was in Cairo on Monday for energy-related talks, met with Egyptian Petroleum Minister Tareq El Molla, after which talks were held between the two countries’ delegations.The minister said following his meeting with El Molla, that they discussed the transnational agreement for an underwater pipeline that will connect the natural gas Read More

Dismantling of Fuel Depots in the Coast of Larnaca Begins

Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades attended a ceremony for the dismantling of the largest fuel depot in Cyprus, marking the commencement of the dismantling of the fuel depots on the coast of Larnaca.The government, the Municipalies of Larnaka and Livadia and the petroleum companies agreed on timeframe to conclude the dismantling of the fuel depots by late 2020.The fuel tank, estimated to hold 56,913 cubic metres of fuel is the largest ever constructed in Cyprus and belongs to Petrolina Read More

A new era for Limassol port

By Andria KadesLimassol port serves as a model for what Cyprus can achieve as it is one of the largest projects of the island, President Nicos Anastasiades said on Thursday during the inauguration ceremony of the new passenger terminal.Dubai’s DP World was awarded a 25-year concession to exclusively operate the multi-purpose terminal in April 2016 and began operations 15 months ago.Since then over 91,000 passengers were served and 11 cruise lines berthed 85 ships last year.This marked Read More

Hermes and CTO Hold Joint Meetings with Airlines and Tour Operators

Very positive messages have transpired in respect to the air connectivity of Cyprus, both for the current year as well as the preliminary plans of the airlines for 2019. This is the main conclusion that has emerged following the contacts of a joint delegation of Hermes Airports and the Cyprus Tourism Organization with representatives from dozens of airlines and tour operators at the "Routes Europe 2018" forum, which took place in Bilbao, Spain.What came out from the meetings, is Read More

Russian ambassador looks to bright economic future for Cyprus and Russia

One of the pillars of the partnership between Cyprus and Russia is their substantial cooperation in the economic field, Russian Ambassador to Cyprus Stanislav Osadchiy said on Thursday.He was speaking at a conference held in Limassol and titled ‘The future of Russian business in Cyprus’.Noting that the two nations share cultural and religious traditions, mutual trust and support, he said that one of the pillars of their partnership is the substantial economic cooperation. Continue reading at source Cyprus Read More

Executives from Global Cruise Companies to Visit Cyprus

Executives from global companies in the cruise ship industry are set to experience the ‘taste of Cyprus’through its history and culture, local flavors and tastes, all the things that tourists can admire and do on our island. Arriving in Cyprus on April 24-27, guests of DP World Limassol will also participate in the Cruise Executive Summit.The aim of the event is to promote cruise tourism, strengthening the prospect of making Cyprus a cruise home port.Continue readingSource:  Gold News Read More

HB Cypriot Economy Expected to Grow by 4.2% in 2018

Hellenic Bank estimates that the Cypriot economy will grow at a rate of 4.2% in 2018. Growth is expected to be supported by private consumption and investment and by an improving and robust labour market. Unemployment is expected to decline to 9.2% in 2018, while inflation to remain at relatively low levels, at around 0.5%.In its Economic Review, the Department of Economic Research, notes that the recovery phase has passed and the economy is now entering Read More

The Best Is Yet To Come

Cyprus tourism may be entering a new ‘golden age’ but we need to act prudently, says Jason Perdios.The travel and tourism sector today accounts for more than 10% of global GDP and in Cyprus it is more than double that figure: the total contribution in 2016 was 21.4% and is set to rise by 3.4% per annum for the foreseeable future. Jason Perdios, CEO of Louis Hotels, believes that opportunities exist for even higher growth but, he Read More

36.4% Increase in Tourist Arrivals

On the basis of the results of the Passengers Survey, arrivals of tourists reached 192,090 in March 2018 compared to 140,873 in March 2017, recording an increase of 36,4%. March 2018 had the highest volume of tourist arrivals ever recorded in Cyprus during the specific month.For the period of January – March 2018 arrivals of tourists totalled 369,438 compared to 285,693 in the corresponding period of 2017, recording an increase of 29.3% and outnumbering the total arrivals ever Read More

Christodoulides Discusses Cooperation in the Field Of Energy with Sisi during Egypt Visit

Cooperation between Cyprus and Egypt in the field of energy, including the planned subsea pipeline for the transport of natural gas from Cyprus to Egypt, was an important part of the meetings of Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides, who concluded on Wednesday 11 April his working visit to Egypt.According a Foreign Ministry press release, during the visit, Christodoulides had a series of meetings with officials of the country. It is noted that it was the first visit of a Foreign Read More

CEOs in Cyprus Confident about their Companies Growth Prospects

CEOs of companies operating in Cyprus are optimistic about the growth prospects of their companies as well as that of the global economy, according to the findings of PwC’s 21st Annual Global CEO Survey.This year’s survey, entitled “The Anxious Optimist in the Corner Office”, saw the participation of almost 1,300 CEOs in 85 countries.  PwC Cyprus carried out the local survey for the 7th consecutive year, with the participation of 67 CEOs in Cyprus.An analysis showed that CEOs are Read More

Property Sales Surge in March

The number of property sales contracts deposited at Land Registry offices across the Republic of Cyprus during March 2018 rose 23 per cent compared to March 2017 according to official figures published by the Department of Lands and Surveys.This follows increases of 46% in February, 64% in January and 36% in December, Cyprus Property News reports. During March a total of 768 contracts or the sale of residential and commercial properties and land (building plots and fields) were deposited Read More

Highend Cyprus property sales boom

PwC Cyprus reports that 260 high-end properties in Cyprus (in excess of €1.5 million) were sold during 2017, which contributed to the wider recovery of the real estate industry and the rise in prices for the first time in several years. Cyprus Real Estate Market Year In Review 2017PwC notes that The Cyprus economy relies heavily on the real estate sector, as Cyprus has one of the highest home ownership rates in Europe and there is a significant overseas Read More

IMF It records positive developments in the Cypriot economy

The positive developments in the Cypriot economy are recorded in a statement by the International Monetary Fund Expert Group, who visited Cyprus from 19-30 March for the regular annual survey of the economy of the member countries of the "Fund" under the provisions of the 4th article of its Statute .The inspection was carried out in co-operation with the European Commission, the European Central Bank and the European Stability Mechanism, and the IMF team is to prepare a report to Read More

PwC Analyses Developments and Prospects in Real Estate Sector During 2017

PwC Cyprus presented its publication “Cyprus Real Estate Market – Year in Review 2017”, at an event in Nicosia on 28 March.The publication provides the latest developments in the real estate sector during 2017. The event was attended by professionals of the sector and other stakeholders, who had the opportunity to learn more about the current developments in the market, the new legislative and tax regulations that affect land development, as well as the latest real estate market trends. Read More

Limassol Promoting cruise tourism

Focused on the goal he has set for promoting cruise tourism within the next two years, the Limassol Municipality remains, who will promote Limassol to cruise operators based on Miami, the United States.According to the announcement, at a meeting held today at the Municipal Palace, all the parties involved (representatives of the CTO, the Cyprus Maritime Chamber, the French Cypriot Chamber of Commerce, the managing director of the DP World Limassol cruise terminal) agreed to promote a series of Read More

Hotels Under construction 13 new units

Shortly before the official start of the summer tourist season, the hotel industry of Cyprus is in construction. The construction of new hotel units and the upgrading / expansion of older ones are in the foreground, in the coastal areas and mainly in the Famagusta province.Estimates, for an even better tourist season in terms of arrivals, are totally related to hotel and hotel exposures, which aim at fully upgrading their services. It is also worth noting the involvement of Read More

Lakkotrypis Calls on Investors to Consider Electricity Market

Cyprus Energy Minister Yiorgos Lakkotrypis called on possible investors to consider the Cypriot electricity market in view of its liberalisation in July next year, the Cyprus News Agency reports.“We hope the electricity market will become a new sector of economic activity and we call on investors to seriously consider the opportunities provided by the sector,” Lakkotrypis said addressing the opening ceremony of the Save Energy exhibition organised by the Employers and Industrialists Federation.The Cyprus Energy Regulatory Authority (CERA) Read More

Limassol and the City of Dreams

City of Dreams Mediterranean is the official name of the integrated casino resort that will open in Limassol in three years’ time. The consortium behind the project – Melco International Development Limited and Cyprus Phassouri (Zakaki) Ltd – recently presented the final plan at the Presidential Palace. Lawrence Ho, Chairman and CEO of Melco spoke to GOLD about the €550 million investment and how he expects the new resort to enhance the island’s tourism offering and significantly raise visitor numbers. Read More

Shell Seeking $25B Gas Deal with Cyprus and Israel

Energy giant Shell is in talks to purchase $25 billion in natural gas from Israel and Cyprus, a report in Globes said Sunday 11 March. The report quoted sources at Bloomberg, who first reported the story last Thursday.The report said that Shell was seeking to contract with the two countries for 10 billion cubic meters of natural gas annually from Israel’s Leviathan and Cyprus’s Aphrodite gas fields. According to Bloomberg, all three parties involved are seeking to sign a deal by Read More

CISI Impressive Turnaround in the Cypriot Financial Markets

The recovery of the financial services sector in Cyprus after the financial crisis has been impressive, according to Kevin Moore, Director of Global Business Development, Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment (CISI). At the same time, he notes that CySEC has helped to increase professionalism in the financial services sector. What is CISI? When was it founded and what is its purpose?The Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment (CISI) is the professional body of choice for financial practitioners within the Read More

CTO Optimism for tourist arrivals from Germany

The importance of the German market for the tourism industry in Cyprus has been highlighted in the contacts that CTO representatives had at the ITB in the International Tourism Fair (ITB), with the messages being optimistic.The Cypriot delegation was led by Tourism Minister Yorgos Lakkotropis and attended by CTO Chairman Angelos Loizou, Deputy General Manager Marinos Menelaos and officials.A CTO press release states that contacts have been made with major tour operators and air carriers on the German Read More

Arton Capital Cyprus Enhances its Citizenship by Investment Program

Following the elections that ended on February 4th, 2018, the government of Cyprus has decided to introduce fundamental changes to its Citizenship by Investment Program.Arton Capital has congratulated the Government of Cyprus for its decision to introduce regulations which will enhance the security of investors, under the country's Citizenship-by-investment Program. “This is a step in the right direction given the popularity of the Program and its contribution to the economy of Cyprus, which has become a glowing example of Read More

CYPRUS FIRST INTEGRATED CASINORESORT

The Integrated Resorts Cyprus Consortium launched on Monday the official website of the City of Dreams Mediterranean casino resort, which is expected to be up and running in 2021.The casino complex, which according to the consortium will be the largest integrated resort in Europe, ‘is set to enrich Cyprus’ tourism product, attracting an additional 300,000 tourists annually and contributing significantly to combating seasonality’.The €550 million project is expected to create around 4,000 jobs annually during its construction period Read More

Amendment on VAT legislation for transactions involving immovable property

The House of Representatives of Cyprus on 3 November 2017, voted into law an amendment to the Cyprus VAT legislation, which will impose VAT at the standard rate of 19% on certain transactions involving immovable property that are carried out for business purposes and that currently are exempt from VAT, in order to be in line with the EU VAT directive.These amendments are effective from 2 January 2018, with the exception of the provisions in relation to the leasing Read More

Limassol is getting its first bitcoin cash embassy

Limassol is getting its first bitcoin cash embassy to open in early 2018. The venue will serve as an open community centre where people can talk about the cryptocurrency, participate in free discussions and attend regular meet-ups with industry experts. It will be hosted by Hello Group, the fintech company which launched the city’s first bitcoin ATM a month ago.With the launch of Bitcoin Cash (BCH) by Coinbase and Gdax, the adoption of the cryptocurrency is likely going to Read More

Bright prospects for Cyprus economy

An overall very positive picture of the Cypriot economy, notwithstanding specific challenges, was drawn by the speakers of an Economist event held in London’s Stock Exchange on Thursday.The ‘Cyprus: Regaining Momentum – Targeting Investment and Growth’ conference looked into the current situation and the prospects of the Cypriot economy.As the consultant editor of the Economist John Andrews stated at the start of the conference, “things look rather healthy for Cyprus, but there remains the problem of the high Read More

IMF Praises Cyprus Impressive Recovery

he IMF Executive Board praised Cyprus “impressive recovery” since the 2013 crisis, pointing out the Cypriot authorities should to hammer out a strategic plan to tackle legacy issues mainly high private debt and the high stock of non-performing loans.“Executive Directors commended the authorities for the Cypriot economy’s impressive recovery from the 2012–13 banking crisis, facilitated by prudent macroeconomic policies and progress on structural reforms, together with strong foreign demand,” the IMF said after approving a report on Cyprus issued Read More

Cyprus property prices are continuing to rise

Cyprus property prices are continuing to rise, according to the thirty-first publication of the RICS Cyprus Property Price Index with apartment and house prices maintaining a steady growth.THE THIRTY-FIRST publication of the RICS Cyprus Property Price Index reports that the average price of residential apartments and houses across the island rose by 1.5% and 1.6% respectively during the first quarter of 2017. The largest increase was in Limassol where the prices of both apartments and houses rose Read More

Cyprus property sales up 21% in October

Property sales in Cyprus rose 18 percent in October compared with October 2016 with sales increasing in all districts (with the exception of Larnaca) according to official figures from the Department of Lands and Surveys.This rise follows a rise of 8% in September, a 27% rise in August and an 18% rise in July. During October a total of 768 contracts for the sale of residential and commercial properties and land (building plots and fields) were deposited at Land Read More

The best time to invest in Cyprus Real Estate is now

The best time to invest in Cyprus Property is now. After its economic collapse, Cyprus is emerging as one of the best destinations for value property investing.The government is working hard to attract foreign investments offering generous incentives including Cyprus permanent residence permits and even EU citizenship. There is now a genuine interest in promoting innovation and entrepreneurship and in attracting direct foreign investment. Government bureaucracy is being curtailed and procedures streamlined to reduce delays and costs. Why Cyprus?High standard Read More

Corporate NPLs down by 1.8 billion euros in a year as construction tourism picks up

The consolidated economic growth of recent quarters has helped reduce the stock of non-performing loans in the banking system mainly via a reduction in delinquent corporate credit, central bank data show.Corporate non-performing loans fell in June from by €1.8bn to €10.1bn, down from 58.3 per cent of total loans extended to non-financial corporations to 52.5 per cent, in a year the latest Central Bank of Cyprus data show. The lion share of this reduction is Read More

Cyprus economy enjoys third year of growth

Finance Minister Harris Georgiades said that he is satisfied with the state of the Cypriot economy, noting that the growth rate in 2017 will reach 3.5%.“The Cypriot economy has been through dramatically difficult conditions,” said Georgiades in an interview with the Greek newspaper “Kathimerini”, adding that “ominous” projections have been proven wrong.“We stayed in the eurozone, we rendered the Troika unnecessary and we are in the third year of recovery”.Asked how the Cypriot economy was led Read More

Cyprus Tourism Organisation happy with record tourism record

Cyprus Tourism Organization (CTO) has expressed its satisfaction over the increase of tourist revenues in June 2017, according to data released by the Cyprus Statistical Service.A press release by CTO says that the June 2017 revenues from tourist arrivals reached € 347.2 million, recording a remarkable increase of 15.3% compared to June 2016.Regarding the cumulative total revenue for the first half of the year, CTO says that Cyprus has approached the one-billion record (€ 996.4 Read More

CBC Residential Property Prices Record Annual Increase in Q1 2017

Residential property prices recorded their first annual increase in seven years, according to data released on Friday, August 25, by the Central Bank of Cyprus (CBC). In particular, residential property prices recorded a slight increase of 0.2% in the first quarter of 2017.Apartment prices recorded an annual increase for the second consecutive quarter (1.6%), while house prices recorded the lowest annual decline since end 2010 (0.3%).Residential property prices Index (houses and apartments) posted a third Read More

After its economic collapse Cyprus is now emerging as one of the best destinations for value property investing

After its economic collapse, Cyprus is now emerging as one of the best destinations for value property investing. The government is working hard to attract foreign investments offering generous incentives including Cyprus permanent residence permits and even EU citizenship. There is now a genuine interest in promoting innovation and entrepreneurship and in attracting direct foreign investment. Government bureaucracy is being curtailed and procedures streamlined to reduce delays and costs. Overseas interest in the Cyprus property market strengthenedOverseas interest in the Cyprus property Read More

Local property tax set to change

LOCAL property tax in Cyprus is set to change this year as the Municipalities and Communities will be assessing the tax payable on the 2013 property valuations rather than the 1980 valuations.It is anticipated that most people will pay about the same local property tax as they did in 2016. However, the new assessments may result in those whose properties were registered as plots or fields in 1980 and which have subsequently been developed – and those whose properties Read More

Banks helped by increased building permits

Although Cypriot banks continue to face significant asset quality challenges, a sustained increase in demand for building permits would improve their asset quality says ratings agency Moody’s.A SUSTAINED increase in demand in building permits will assist Cypriot banks to improve their asset quality in the real estate sector, rating agency Moody’s says, as building permits in Cyprus reach a new high since the 2013 banking crisis. The Statistical Service of Cyprus released data showing that the number of building Read More

Property transactions up 18% in July

The number of properties that changed owners in July rose 18 per cent to 739 compared to the respective month of 2016, the Department of Lands and Surveys said.The increase in property transactions last month reflects an increase in all districts with the exception of Larnaca where they fell an annual 16 per, cent to 103, the department said in a statement on its website. It was Larnaca’s second consecutive drop and the fifth this year.Property transactions increased Read More

Government Predicts Upgrade to Investment Grade in September

The Cyprus government is expecting that in September it could shake off its “junk” status and reach investment grade.Cyprus was upgraded by credit ratings house Moody’s, while previously there was an upgrade from DBRS.There is optimism among government officials that the next Standard & Poor’s rating, scheduled for September 15, will take Cyprus out of the “junk” category, and up into investment  grade for the first time in five years.Currently, Cyprus is just one notch below investment Read More

Moodys Upgrade Cyprus Economy to Ba3

Moody`s rating agency has upgraded government bond ratings of Cyprus by one notch, to Ba3 from B1. Moody's maintained a positive outlook and said the short-term ratings have been affirmed, at Not Prime (NP) and (P)NP.Commenting on the rating action, Government Spokesman Nicos Christodoulides told Cyprus News Agency that the upgrade of Cyprus by Moody`s, "is another step in restoring confidence in our economy and another confirmation that we are now on a path that creates a positive outlook. Read More

Tourist Arrivals Increase By 147 in May 2017

On the basis of the results of the Passengers Survey, arrivals of tourists reached 418,732 in May 2017 compared to 364,943 in May 2016, recording an increase of 14.7%. According to the Statistical Service of Cyprus, May 2017 had the highest volume of tourist arrivals ever recorded in Cyprus during the specific month.For the period of January – May 2017 arrivals of tourists totaled 990,756 compared to 842,126 in the corresponding period of 2016, recording an increase of Read More

Tourism revenue up 64% in March, Cystat says

Revenue from tourism rose in March 6.4 per cent compared with the respective month of 2016 to €86.1m, the statistical service said.From January to March, total revenue rose 14 per cent to €168.1m compared with the respective period last year, Cystat said in a statement on its website on Tuesday.The increase in revenue from tourism in the third month of the year was mainly on an annual 3.6 per cent rise in spending per Read More

Tourist Minister confident for 2017

After a record 2016, Tourism Minister Giorgos Lakkotrypis expects even more positive results this year barring unforeseen obstacles, he said on Tuesday in an address to a hoteliers’ conference in Nicosia.Speaking at the annual general meeting of the Cyprus Hotel Association (Pasyxe), Lakkotrypis said 2016 was a landmark year for tourism both in terms of arrivals and revenue.There were 500,000 more visitors last year, reaching a total of 3.2 million plus a 12 per cent hike in Read More

Tourism contributes 35 Billion to the Economy in 2016

It is a well-known fact that tourism is a significant contributor to the island’s economy, with tourism in 2015 collecting €3.4 billion in revenue, which corresponds to 19.3% of GDP in 2015. The increase in tourist arrivals in 2016 has translated into a 4.4% increase in revenue from tourism, or a total of €3.5 billion(19.9% of GDP). In addition, future projections for tourism are positive: a 3.6% annual increase is expected until 2026, for Read More

Paphos looking to tap into medical tourism

A Paphos businessman has set his sights on making his hometown a hot destination for medical tourism after announcing plans to construct a diagnostic, treatment and rehabilitation centre in the Oreites community of Souskiou.Apostolos Fotiou’s planned  5,772m2 centre will encompass two floors of facilities including 60 beds for patients, on-site staff accommodation, a physiotherapy centre and gym, offices, and a pharmacy, amongst other. Parking for 232 cars, meanwhile, will take up some of the total 15,307m2 of land earmarked Read More

Property Sales off to a promising start

PROPERTY sales in Cyprus during January 2017 rose by 29 per cent compared to the same period last year according to the official statistics published by the Department of Lands and Surveys; 2017 got off to a promising start. During January 2017 a total of 423 contracts for the sale of commercial and residential properties and land (building plots and fields) were deposited at Land Registry offices across Cyprus, compared with the 327 deposited in January 2016. Of those 423 Read More

Cyprus property prices up Q3 2016

Cyprus property prices up Q3 2016 The RICS Cyprus Property Prices Index for Q3 2016 reports increases in almost all districts and property types, with largest increase in apartment and house prices recorded for Limassol and Paphos respectively.THE TWENTY-EIGHTH edition of the RICS Cyprus Property Price Index reports that the average price of residential apartments and houses across the island rose by 0.9% and 0.6% respectively during the third quarter of 2016. During the third quarter of Read More

Cyprus Bank Deposits Increase after Four Years

Cyprus’ bank deposits increased in 2016 for the first time after four years according to data released by the Central Bank of Cyprus, on Friday. The outstanding amount of deposits reached €49,0 billion in December 2016. Deposits in Cyprus banks stood at €70,1 billion in 2012 and dropped to €46,9 in 2013, according to the data. The total deposits in December 2016 recorded a net decrease of €74,9 million, compared with a net increase of €358,0 million in November 2016. Read More

Sawiris Showcases Ayia Napa Marina Project to UAE Investors

Egyptian businessman Naguib Sawiris showcased, on January 29, the 220 million euro Ayia Napa Marina project, aimed at investors in the United Arab Emirates looking for a luxury experience. Sawiris and his business partner Stavros Caramondanis said they are seeking to replicate the Dubai’s lavish property skyline on the Mediterranean coast with the Ayia Napa Marina project, which will feature two mixed-use high-rise towers surrounded by retail outlets and a marina.“We have an international roadshow and we chose Dubai to Read More

Paphos Marina expected to attract new tourists

The chairman of the Paphos Commerce and Industry Chamber Andreas Demetriades said that the development of the Paphos marina will have a positive multiplier effect on all other sectors of the local economy, according the Cyprus News Agency (CNA). He added that the marina which will accommodate for more than 1000 yachts will increase Paphos' tourist product as it will attract more and new tourists from neighboring countries.  According to Demetriades the Marina will be built in a 155 thousand Read More

Cyprus to host high importance EBRD General Meeting

Cyprus will host the 26th Annual General Meeting of the Board of Governors of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) from May 9 to 11. In addition to the EBRD event a business forum titled ‘Targeting Green and Inclusive Growth: Meeting Regional and Global Challenges’ will also be held. According to a press release from the Finance Ministry, it considers the success of the whole event of “high importance, since this will be the first time that Cyprus Read More

Retail trade increases

The seasonally adjusted volume of retail trade increased by 2.2% in Cyprus in October 2016, according to estimates from Eurostat.In November 2016, compared with October 2016, the seasonally adjusted volume of retail trade fell by 0.4% in the euro area (EA19) and by 0.1% in the EU28, according to estimates from Eurostat.In October the retail trade volume increased by 1.4% in the euro area and by 1.3% in the EU28.In November 2016 Read More
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