AIR traffic to and from Cyprus has increased by 10 flights per day since the beginning of this month due to increased tourist arrivals, Commerce, Industry and Tourism Minister George Lillikas said yesterday.
Lillikas was speaking during the presentation of the first progress report since the government’s strategic plan for tourism was launched last November. A progress report must be submitted to the President every four months.
“This year is going really well,” Lillikas told a news conference to present the progress report. He said arrivals were up by 10 per cent up until the end of April compared to the same period last year, and that arrivals in the month of May rose 13 per cent over 2003. At the same time last year, however, the tourism market was in the grip of a slump brought on by the US invasion of Iraq.
“Bookings from June 1 to September 30 are such that there will be 1,300 more flights than last year. Let’s hope it keeps this rhythm,” Lillikas said, adding, however, that this was no reason to become complacent. “We will intensify our efforts,” he said.
A Cyprus Tourism Organisation (CTO) official said most of the 1,300 extra flights were charter flights and mainly from the UK.
Lillikas said there had also been significant increases in the number of arrivals from Greece, Italy and France this year and that the CTO had opened new offices in Dubai and in Helsinki.
Discussions were also continuing, he said, to launch the three-country package of Greece, Cyprus and Egypt for tourists from China and India in a joint effort with Cairo and Athens.
Commenting on improvements on the domestic front, Lillikas said that huge progress had been made in a number of areas and that the state was working closely with local authorities and with the private sector, although he did say that more investment in the tourism product from the private sector would not go amiss.
The CTO has recently given local authorities carte blanche to develop their individual areas and spruce them up to attract more quality tourism, through the formation of special companies where funding is channelled.
Lillikas said the project was probably one of the more tricky ones in the race to change the face of the island’s tourism.
“I continue having concerns about how much local government will decide to take the drastic measures needed in order to address the questions of quality and the cracking down on irregularities and illegalities,” he said.
“The state will not give one pound to any municipality that does not apply the law,” he added.
Another issue Lillikas addressed was transportation from Larnaca and Paphos airports to more remote resorts. “The cost of transportation from Larnaca airport to Protaras or Polis costs as much as the air ticket from the UK,” said Lillikas.
He said the government had proposed to the taxi drivers that they set up a separate company that would be used to transport tourists to far-away towns using a small fleet of buses. If not, he said the job could be given to other private individuals.
The Minister said that there had been a huge increase in sports tourism over the past 12 months and that some £6 million has been earmarked to develop that sector over the next three years.
This year, Cyprus is hosting Olympic teams from Britain, Switzerland, Belgium, Holland and next year it will host the MTB World Marathon Series cycling race in April.
“We have, in collaboration with the Cyprus Sports Organisation, prepared a
complete proposal for the establishment of central system of management of athletic installations, so that the sports teams that come to Cyprus can make their reservations easily so that no one leaves disappointed as has happened in the past, to the discredit of Cyprus,” Lillikas said.
Commenting on developments in the golfing sector, Lillikas said that in four to five years, Cyprus would have 12-14 golf courses.
On the issue of marinas, Lillikas said there were offers for Limassol, Larnaca and Ayia Napa but that the Attorney-general was examining the issue as there was only one tender for each area.
Lillikas declined to say if the same company was bidding for all three or whether three different companies were involved.
He also said there would be a meeting in the coming weeks to discuss the issue of marinas for Paphos and Protaras as there were no tenders for either town.
