By: cyprus-mail.com/

It is estimated that the number of tourists from Lebanon will exceed 35,000 this year, with most arrivals having involved short breaks throughout the year, according to the Cyprus Tourism Organisation (CTO).

“Wedding tourism from this country has increased by 30 per cent and we are optimistic about further growth,” the CTO said in a news release on Monday.

With Lebanon a priority market among the Arab countries, CTO organised a workshop with a focus on wedding tourism and short breaks in Beirut in early December.

The workshop involved 18 Cypriot companies (hotels and tour operators), more than 55 Lebanese travel agents and over 100 tourism professionals and other agents from Lebanon.

CTO aimed to contact and get to know new companies and further develop existing partnerships, as well as creating new ones, with the aim of increasing the flow of tourists from that market, according to the statement.

The workshop was also addressed by Christina Rafti, Ambassador of Cyprus to Lebanon, who emphasised the need for a two-way cooperation between the two countries with multiple benefits for the important tourism sector.

Around 8,000 couples from abroad chose Cyprus as their wedding destination this year, with the number steadily climbing over the years.