Christos Angelides: The goal is for Cyprus to remain open to tourism year-round

The winter season for tourism and hotels in Cyprus was somewhat improved compared to last year, but not to the desired extent, and, while the indications for the summer season are encouraging, the full picture has yet to become clear.

This was emphasised, among other things, by the Director General of the Cyprus Hotel Association (CHA-PASYXE), Christos Angelides, in an interview with InBusinessNews.

At the same time, he indicated the need for Cyprus to open up to tourism throughout its territory, with arrivals of organised charter flights and an influx of mainly German, Northern European and Scandinavian tourists, at both the country’s airports.

More specifically, when asked about how the winter season had evolved for the hotel industry, Angelides stated that "the strengthening of the winter season is a timeless goal of Cypriot tourism, to which we, as the Cyprus Hotel Association, declare our commitment to contributing to its achievement with all our might."

This year's picture, he added, "was improved compared to last year, but not to the extent we would have liked," noting that "several hotel units remained closed in the winter, especially in the Famagusta District, as well as in the Paphos District."

"The goal for us is for our country to remain open to tourism throughout the year, so that we can achieve the real prospects that our country has," he stressed.

Asked to say how many hotels remained open during the winter period, Angelides said that a total of 56 hotel units remained open out of the 252 that are members of CHA, i.e. a percentage of approximately 20%.

Making Cyprus a year-round destination

Asked whether the number of hotel units that will remain open throughout the winter season is expected to increase year by year, the Director General of CHA stressed that "with the data as it is at the moment, no significant increase will be observed, although I expect gradual small increases to be observed year by year."

"In order to see significant diversification, our country must open up to tourism throughout its territory, with arrivals of organised charter flights and an influx of mainly German, Northern European and Scandinavian tourists at both of our airports," he stressed.

Therefore, he added, "without having the answer as to when this will happen, the effort to make Cyprus a year-round destination will have to be postponed for when the above is realised."

"As the Director General of CHA, I declare our willingness to work with all stakeholders, so that this goal becomes achievable as soon as possible," he continued, indicating that "our country can provide high-level services throughout the year and we, as CHA, want our country's tourism sector to be active so that it contributes even more to the GDP of our economy."

Reservations and prospects for the summer

Asked, moreover, about the prospects for the summer season and what the indications are in relation to reservations, Angelides said that "based on the picture of pre-reservations, we are moderately optimistic", noting that pre-reservations are up 6% compared to the previous year.

"Considering the liquidity that characterises the tourism sector, we will wait to see whether this positive mood will translate into actual stays," he stressed.

Furthermore, the Director General of CHA emphasised, "we are monitoring exogenous factors that impact our tourism, such as, for example, geopolitical developments in our region, which are not receding at the extent that would be expected."

Nevertheless, he concluded, "we note the positive trend that is being observed, albeit preliminarily, in countries such as Poland, Germany, the United Kingdom and, more broadly, smaller markets in Central Europe."

(Source: InBusinessNews)