Hoteliers: British tabloid reports on reduced bookings don't reflect current reality

A report in the British tabloid Daily Express, referring to a decrease in tourist bookings in Cyprus since May, is outdated and does not reflect the current situation, according to the Director General of Cyprus Hotels Association (CHA), Philokypros Roussounides.

The report in the Daily Express says there is "panic" in the island's tourism industry due to the "huge drop" in bookings, while there is talk of a "crisis" that will cost the sector £30 million.

"The title is a bit far-fetched and the article is a bit out of date," Roussounides told the Cyprus News Agency, noting that the article refers to data from a few months ago. "Some data have changed, additional flights have been added," he explained.

He noted that tourist arrivals are at last year's levels, which, he said, gives room for cautious optimism. "These are figures that show the resilience of the industry, because in the midst of all these challenges and geopolitical turbulence, we manage to be close to the same numbers as last year. That in itself shows the resilience of the sector and tells us that we need to invest and strengthen the sector."

He said that occupancy rates and overnight stays do not always correspond to tourist arrivals, as a lot of people prefer short-term rental accommodations or they stay in the island's Turkish-occupied areas.

Asked if, despite that, bookings are at the same levels as last year, he said that it appears that, on the day, bookings are close to last year's levels, noting, however, that "all of this could change dramatically by a negative development in the region".

He also added that there is a variation in the length of stay of tourists on the island, and in the per capita output, which is slightly reduced, due to the economic recession that certain tourist markets face.

For her part, the General Manager of ACTE, Chrysemili Psilogeni, told CNA that since the beginning of the year there has been a decrease in bookings compared to last year, mainly due to the challenges faced by tourism in Cyprus and worldwide.

"Arrivals at airports may be up today compared to last year but ACTA has made it clear many times that arrivals and hotel bookings are not the same thing" she said.

She added that recently ACTA presented data that the average length of stay of tourists in Cyprus is gradually decreasing as well as the per capita expenditure. "We need to strengthen our efforts either to increase tourist flows from specific markets, or, more importantly, to attract higher quality tourism", she said.

Daily Express cites CHA's President Thanos Michaelides on the reduction of bookings and the need to extend the tourist season by operating hotels throughout the year.

However, it also cites the Deputy Minister of Tourism of Cyprus, Kostas Koumis, who expressed last May his expectation that targets will be met, based on data for the first four months.