Tourism bounces back with bookings boom

By Jean Christou

CYPRUS is emerging as the ‘in’ place for tourists in 1999 as Europeans who dithered during the Kosovo crisis have finally decided to take a break.A bookings crisis in May left the island’s hopes of a bumper tourism year in limbo but since events in Yugoslavia have taken a back seat on the international stage, leisure is once again on the agenda and Cyprus is turning out to be this year’s hot spot.Among those queuing up to come here are the Dutch, Irish, Greeks, Israelis, Poles, ,Arabs and the British.The Cyprus Tourism Organisation (CTO) is particularly pleased with the performance of the traditionally strong British market this year.According to figures they have obtained from the UK, overall bookings on the British market are down two per cent — but despite that, Cyprus is pulling in a substantial 14 per cent increase in summer bookings from Britain.The UK market accounts for almost half the island’s two million-plus tourists each year.In the first five months of this year tourism from Britain has jumped by 15 per cent over the same period last year.The CTO is also pleased with the performance of the Irish market which went into a slump over the past 4-5 years. This year, though, it is showing a healthy 27 per cent increase. The demand has resulted in an extra charter flight per week to Dublin.The biggest movers and shakers this year are the Poles who traditionally holiday in Italy. The CTO, referring to Poland as its “star performer”, anticipates more Poles will come to Cyprus than will go to Italy this year.Since the tourism organisation opened an office in Poland last year, tourism from there has risen a whopping 67 per cent.The government said there was never in any doubt that the Cyprus would survive the Kosovo crisis, and according to Commerce, Industry and Tourism Minister Nicos Rolandis close to 2.4 million tourists will visit the island this year.He said the target increase of seven per cent is likely to be achieved, but he would not speculate on whether it would be surpassed. The first five months of the year are already up nine and a half per cent.Hoteliers say they are “optimistic” but are remaining cautious.

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.