Aktunç: Supporting Tourism in Northern Cyprus is Not a Choice, but a Necessity

On March 17, Serhan Aktunç, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Tourism, Culture, Youth, and Environment, stated on the "Sabahın Haberleri" program on Kıbrıs Postası TV that supporting tourism in Northern Cyprus is not a choice, but a necessity.

Aktunç assessed the impact of the war in Iran on the tourism sector, pointing out that in the current geopolitical conditions, the main factors for tourists are safety and prices. According to him, militarization in Southern Cyprus increases the perception of risk; however, ministries there did not link tourism to the conflict and allowed the industry to continue operating independently of military events.

He noted that although Northern Cyprus did not see mass flight cancellations like the south, bookings have decreased. Aktunç emphasized the need to motivate tourism market participants and develop measures to insulate the sector from negative consequences, as well as to determine post-war support.

The Undersecretary drew attention to the economic effect: tourism, in his estimation, provides the greatest contribution to reducing the current account deficit, so austerity measures should not weaken revenue-generating industries. He warned that misdirected cuts could cause greater economic damage through the multiplier effect.

Responding to a question about rising costs, Aktunç stated that over the past 13 months, three cost-of-living adjustments have increased the sector's expenses; fuel and energy prices have risen, as have personnel costs. He pointed to the underutilization of solar energy and called for the implementation of projects to increase competitiveness, including the Ada Kıbrıs project. Aktunç also stressed the need for continuous support and promotion of the private sector and service-oriented tourism in Northern Cyprus.