TO BOOST numbers in their ‘fight for survival’, SYKAP, the association of restaurant and bar owners has been joined by 50 new members from the English speaking community in Paphos.
Hundreds of eateries in Paphos closed for 24 hours earlier this month to highlight problems facing the restaurant industry in the area.
Many businesses owned by non-Cypriots also closed to show their support for the action, which brought them to SYKAPs attention.
According to SYKAP president Fitos Thrassivoulou, a meeting took place in Paphos on Monday which was attended by 50 or so English speaking restaurant and bar owners from the area.
“We would like to thank the English-speaking businesses for their support and also to welcome them to the association,” he said.
Thrassivoulou says that the new members now had their own department within the association and had already chosen three people to represent them.
“Already these people need us to help them with the rent they are being charged for premises, which is just one of many problems being faced now.”
The SYKAP president was keen to point out that the new members “completely agreed” with the association that the biggest problem facing them at the moment are all-inclusive hotels.
He said that in resorts such as Turkey, all-inclusive hotels have to be a minimum of one and a half kilometres from built-up areas and yet in Paphos they were allowed in the centre of the busiest area.
“Here in Paphos we have all-inclusive establishments in the town and their presence is creating a lot of problems,” said Thrassivoulou. “The government has to decide not to permit these places in the centre of Paphos. It’s killing tourism. SYKAP do not have a problem with the state helping other hotels to survive, but we do care when they give financial support to all inclusive hotels.”
“At the end of the day all the money goes to the tour operators. And these operators also only work for certain months of the year in Cyprus. They withdraw their flights during the winter, which then creates the problem of making us a seasonal destination,” he added.
Speaking of the new members he concluded: “ We are very pleased that everyone is now getting involved. This profession is for everybody who has this type of business here and not just for Cypriots.”
