Cyprus Launches Its International Maritime Tourism Festival Of This Year At Ayia Napa Marina To Transform The Island Into A New Year-round Maritime Tourism Hub

Published on October 27, 2025

Cyprus has formally inaugurated nan International Maritime Tourism Festival 2025 astatine nan breathtaking Ayia Napa Marina, a landmark infinitesimal successful nan island’s way towards becoming a world-class maritime tourism hub. President Nikos Christodoulides reiterated his administration’s dedication to making Cyprus a apical maritime tourism, innovation, and bluish system maturation player, connecting nan Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East.

Positioning Cyprus arsenic a Premier Maritime Tourism Destination

In his opening remarks, President Christodoulides emphasized that nan oversea remains cardinal to Cyprus’ identity, economy, and early growth. His imagination is clear — to make Cyprus a maritime tourism hub that attracts some luxury travelers and eco-conscious visitors seeking authentic coastal experiences.

“Our imagination is for Cyprus to go a starring maritime tourism hub successful nan Eastern Mediterranean and nan Middle East,” he said, highlighting nan country’s imaginable to merge sustainability, culture, and economic growth done nan sea. The President stressed that nan blue sector — which includes cruise tourism, yachting, and marine leisure — is not only captious for tourism but besides for occupation creation, education, and innovation.

Festival Showcases Blue Growth, Culture, and Tourism Synergy

The International Maritime Tourism Festival, co-organized by nan Deputy Ministry of Shipping, Ayia Napa Marina, and Boat Advisors, serves arsenic a ceremony of shipping excellence, maritime innovation, and sustainable tourism development.

The multi-day arena features exhibitions, discussions, and networking sessions, focusing connected topics specified arsenic marine conservation, green ports, cruise tourism, and maritime education. The show besides promotes “Blue Tourism” — a conception that blends leisure, culture, and sustainability while emphasizing respect for nan marine environment. Delegates from crossed Europe, nan Middle East, and Asia person gathered to speech ideas connected really coastal tourism tin beryllium enhanced done digital transformation, green investment, and regional cooperation.

Greece–Cyprus Cooperation: Strengthening Maritime and Tourism Ties

On nan sidelines of nan event, Deputy Ministry of Shipping Director General Stelios Chimonas met pinch Greek Deputy Minister of Shipping and Island Policy Stefanos Ghikas to talk strengthening practice betwixt nan 2 nations.

The gathering focused connected marine contamination prevention, digital transformation, and decarbonization, on pinch shared goals for Cyprus’ upcoming EU Council Presidency successful 2026. Ghikas highlighted that nan narration betwixt Cyprus and Greece is profoundly rooted successful their shared cultural heritage and geographical proximity, noting that some countries spot nan oversea arsenic a “common abstraction of development, culture, and cooperation.”

Ayia Napa Marina: The Beating Heart of Blue Tourism

For Ayia Napa Marina Director Costas Fytiris, nan motorboat of this show marks much than a ceremony — it signifies a turning constituent for Cyprus’ tourism strategy. He called nan show nan opening of an institution that will specify maritime tourism successful nan region.

Fytiris highlighted that Famagusta District, agelong known for its seasonal summertime tourism, is now evolving into a year-round destination for maritime leisure, yachting, and luxury travel. The region’s two marinas are nan closest charismatic introduction points from nan Middle East, offering tremendous imaginable to pull superyachts, cruise ships, and high-value visitors from Gulf countries.

Expanding nan Scope of Tourism: From Summer to Year-Round

The International Maritime Tourism Festival is portion of Cyprus’ broader push to widen its tourism play beyond nan accepted summertime months. By focusing connected nautical experiences, cultural exchanges, and sustainable coastal tourism, nan land is redefining itself arsenic a four-season destination.

Activities featured during nan show — specified arsenic coastal clean-ups, sailing demonstrations, blue invention exhibits, and culinary showcases of Cypriot seafood — underline nan country’s holistic attack to tourism. These efforts align pinch Cyprus’ semipermanent extremity of achieving “Blue Growth”, which promotes sustainable usage of water resources while supporting economic development and community well-being.

Humanitarian and Strategic Role of Ayia Napa Marina

Fytiris besides underscored nan humanitarian importance of Ayia Napa Marina, recalling really it served arsenic a safe harbor for humanitarian aid during crises successful Gaza, Lebanon, and Israel. The marina supported evacuations and assistance missions, demonstrating Cyprus’ domiciled not conscionable arsenic a tourism destination, but besides arsenic a regional maritime leader pinch a humanitarian focus.

He added that nan beingness of nan President of Cyprus underscored nan government’s committedness to supporting nan Famagusta community and its broader imagination of transforming nan blue economy into a national maturation pillar.

Blue Growth and nan Future of Maritime Tourism

Cyprus’ blue maturation strategy integrates tourism, biology protection, and innovation. The state intends to pull eco-luxury travelers, yachting enthusiasts, and cruise operators done enhanced marina infrastructure, digitalization, and green power adoption.

The show promotes marine education, blue innovation, and sustainable entrepreneurship, creating opportunities for startups and researchers to collaborate connected marine technologies and eco-tourism models. This attack supports sustainable coastal livelihoods while ensuring that nan oversea remains a thriving assets for generations to come.

Cyprus: The Eastern Mediterranean’s Emerging Tourism Gateway

With nan opening of nan International Maritime Tourism Festival 2025, Cyprus further solidifies itself arsenic a unafraid maritime guidelines and a touristic gateway of strategical value successful nan Eastern Mediterranean. The nation’s geographical advantage, state-of-the-art ports, and increasing tourism infrastructure spot it successful a premier position to service arsenic a cardinal nexus connecting Europe pinch nan Middle East. With superyachts, cruise liners, and overseas visitors mounting their eyes connected Cyprus, nan show demonstrates nan island’s preparedness to return nan lead successful sea-based tourism, sustainability, and taste speech successful nan region.