At 65.2 million the proposed budget of the Deputy Ministry, at 25% the promotion costs – 12.8 million in grants
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By Maria Herakleous
The proposed budget of the Deputy Ministry of Tourism for 2024 amounts to 65.2 million euros, and is higher, as an initial budget, than in previous years, calculating the initial budgets of previous years – excluding additional costs. Specifically, since the establishment of the Deputy Ministry in 2019, its first budget had risen to 47.8 million euros, with additional costs amounting to 4.3 million euros. In 2020, expenses amounted to 52.8 million euros and additional expenses to 4.2 million euros. In the years 2021 (budget 47 million euros) the additional costs were around 16 million euros and in 2022 (budget 53.5 million euros) around 16.6 million euros, while in 2023 (budget 53.5 million . euros) was 38.79 million euros. intention 16.4 million in promotion expenses.
As Deputy Minister of Tourism Kostas Koumis stated during the presentation of the 2024 budget to the Parliament's Finance Committee, 50% of the available credits concern actions to promote the destination and enrich the tourist product such as information campaigns, participation in exhibitions and grant schemes. The rest of the market areas with fixed costs such as payroll, operating costs and social benefits. He also mentioned that the Deputy Ministry is currently reevaluating promotion actions and actions aimed at enriching the tourist product.
Promotion costs
Promotion costs absorb 25.25% of budget of the Deputy Ministry. This is an amount of 16.4 million euros which will be distributed as follows:
a. Cooperation plans with tour operators and airlines – 10 million euros
b. Advertising campaigns in tourist markets – 5 million euros
c. promotion of special forms of tourism-500 thousand euros
d. organization of PR events abroad – 500 thousand euros
e. Production of material for digital projection – 148 thousand euros
f. development and promotion of the “authentic routes” program – 100 thousand euros
g. other actions – 172 thousand euros
According to the Deputy Minister's presentation, the total expenditure for promotion purposes amounts to 19.7 million euros, which is at the same level in 2022 and 2023. For 2024, in addition to the expenditure for promotion purposes, an amount of 2.65 million .euro concerns participation in exhibitions and other events and 650 thousand euros, for hospitality.
12.8 million in grants
Expenditures for grants amount to 12.8 million euros and constitute 19.63% of the budget. Of the amount itself, 11.241 million euros concern plans to promote special forms of tourism, with the lion's share – 8.1 million euros – relating to actions of the recovery and resilience plan.
Amount of 1.5 million . euros concern the sponsorship of the actions of the six tourism development and promotion companies (ETAP) and an amount of 75 thousand euros concerns the sponsorship of the actions of the Cypriot agrotourism company.
12.3 million euros for hosting refugees
An amount of 8.4 million euros concerns the hosting of Ukrainian refugees until March 2024, while the cost of hosting unaccompanied minors seeking international protection from third countries amounts to 3.6 million euros. In addition, an amount of 300 thousand euros will be channeled into training actions of the local industry with the aim of improving the services provided, especially in mountainous areas, the countryside and disadvantaged areas, and an amount of 15 thousand euros concerns extraordinary sponsorships. The amount for the payroll of officials, civil servants and the hourly staff of the Deputy Ministry together with the employer's allowances and contributions amounts to a total of 11 million euros. As a percentage of the budget, it amounts to 16.87%.
Expenditures for infrastructure projects
The annual budgets of the Deputy Ministry include appropriations for the purchase of services that related to the procedures for awarding and managing lease contracts for projects to enrich the tourism product. Therefore, an amount of 360 thousand euros concerns the purchase of consulting services for the development of a marina in Kissonerga, Paphos, a provision of 35 thousand for the management of the contract of the Paralimni marina and a corresponding amount for consulting services that purchase issues of development of marinas for pleasure boats.< /p> < iframe width='300px' height='500px' src='https://www.adstorebluebird.cy/api/banner/ServeBanner?zoneId=2734' frameborder='0' scrolling='no'>
