Casino operator welcomes underministry for tourism

Parliament’s decision to pass a law establishing an underministry for tourism was welcomed by Cyprus’ casino consortium, according to a statement released on Thursday.

“The goals of the new deputy ministry are fully aligned with our efforts to offer top quality hospitality and entertainment, and to transform Cyprus into a year-round destination. To this end we look forward immensely to working closely with the deputy ministry on our upcoming projects,” Craig Ballantyne, property president of City of Dreams Mediterranean and Cyprus Casinos said.

Melco International formed a consortium with Cyprus Phassouri (Zakaki) Limited, a member of CNS group, for the ICRC (integrated casino resorts Cyprus Limited).

A temporary casino is currently operating in Limassol, Zakaki until the integrated casino resort opens its doors in 2021. Pop-up casinos in all the other cities are also in the works to open between now and next year.

The ministry is set to begin operating in January next year, which has been heralded by the government as a “milestone for boosting the tourism sector, a key pillar of the Cypriot economy.”

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.