The development of the maritime tourism sector and ways to boost cooperation between Cyprus and Israel, were discussed at a meeting held at the Limassol port, between the Israeli Ambassador to Cyprus, H.E. Mr Shmuel (Sammy) Revel, the Chairman of the Limassol Tourism Board, Mr. Tony Antoniou and DP World Limassol officials.
DP World Limassol officials welcomed the Israeli Ambassador and the Chairman of the Limassol Tourism Board to the Limassol port on Thursday, 10 September 2020. Mr Revel had the opportunity to tour the facilities of the New Passenger Terminal and meet with DP World Limassol’s CEO, Nawaf Abdulla, with whom they exchanged views on ways to respond to the emerging challenges facing the tourism and cruise industry of the Eastern Mediterranean, due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
In statements as part of the visit, the Israeli Ambassador referred to the mutual benefits derived from close cooperation between Israel and Cyprus and stressed that great prospects could open up through joint projects and synergies. “We recognize the significance of tourism for our respective economies and therefore the importance of maintaining a close relationship with Cyprus, host to one of the most important ports of the region. In fact, last year, Israel and Cyprus agreed to jointly promote the Eastern Mediterranean region as a prime holiday destination for cruise lines and even though the pandemic has pushed back our plans for the cruise sector, we strongly believe that our efforts will bear fruit in the near future.”
From his part Mr. Tony Antoniou, Chairman of the Limassol Tourism Board, emphasised the importance of Cyprus-Israel cooperation in the cruise sector and the mutual benefits from joint promotion of the region.
On his part, DP World Limassol’s CEO, Nawaf Abdulla, pointed out that “Establishing the Limassol port as a major cruise hub in the Eastern Mediterranean continues to be one of our major objectives”, adding that “even though the cruise industry was severely affected by the pandemic, we are optimistic that by connecting Limassol with other ports and boosting our cooperation with important neighboring countries like Israel, we can help establish a thriving cruise industry, which will create multiple benefits for the local economy”.
