‘North Cyprus expects more German tourists’
MORE Germans are expected to holiday in North Cyprus this summer, Tourism Minister Fikri Ataoğlu has said.
He made the prediction while attending the ITB Berlin, described by organisers as the world’s leading travel trade show, which ended on Sunday.
North Cyprus, as in previous years, was represented at the event with a replica traditional Cypriot house.
The trade show was officially opened by German Chancellor Angela Merkel and attended by tourism ministers and leading industry figures from around the world.
Mr Ataoğlu described it as a “great opportunity” to make contacts with travel operators from “new countries” and “develop existing cooperation”, noting that the number of tourists visiting North Cyprus was on the up.
“We expect to see a continuation of this rise,” Mr Ataoğlu said.
“The German market is one of the big markets for us. We expect to have a greater share of this market . . . [and] will do our utmost to achieve this.”
Mr Ataoğlu said North Cyprus had been promoted at the ITB Berlin as a destination for both traditional holidays and “alternative” tourism, such as health and “eco” tourism.
He said his department was working with the “relevant civil society representatives” to “attain our goal of sustainable tourism”.
The 130m2 North Cyprus stand featured the Karpaz peninsula, with its beaches, natural habitat and donkeys, and villages which are members of the Cittaslow “Slow Cities” international movement.
Samples of traditional handmade ceramics and local produce were also available at the stand along with information on traditional festivals and outdoor activities.
The ITB Berlin attracts around 160,000 visitors each year and features some 10,000 exhibitors from more than 180 countries spread across five continents.
Official tourism figures do not specify numbers for German visitors, but recorded arrivals of nonTurkish “foreigners” were 21,783 in January — up 7.6 per cent on the same month in 2017. Such arrivals in North Cyprus totalled 410,000 last year.