Travellers encouraged to use travel agents

THE ONLY way for travellers to safeguard against possible “unpleasant surprises” is to book through licensed travel agencies, the Association of Cyprus Travel Agents (ACTA) warned yesterday.

To protect travellers from possible “traps” ACTA has begun a campaign to inform the public adequately of things they should be aware of. The campaign includes an information leaflet that will be handed out by all members of ACTA to their customers, advertisements and the use of their website.

“With everything that is happening internationally, we believe that the only sure and safe way for comfortable and pleasant trips is for travellers to work together with reliable and licensed travel agents who possess the knowledge, the experience and the correct framework,” said ACTA chief Victor Mantovani.

He urged people to be cautious buying tickets and booking hotels online, emphasising that they should use well-known sites. “There have been more than a few cases where customers have reserved rooms at hotels over the internet at low costs and have been nastily surprised,” said Mantovani.

Less than 10 per cent of Cypriot consumers book their trips via the internet, according to former president of ACTA Akis Kelepeshis.

Contrary to popular belief, booking through a travel agent does not cost more, according to Mantovani, who highlighted how a travel agent is “in a position to ensure the best possible price for their customer because they know where to go to fully meet a traveller’s needs.” As a result, customers are able to enjoy their trip without worrying about anything, leaving the planning of the trip to their travel agent.

Mantovani confirmed that despite trouble in the neighbouring Arab countries Cyprus appears to have an increase in bookings for the summer months. Even bookings from Great Britain, which he considers “to be the biggest but the most problematic market” for Cyprus, have stabilised in contrast to a decrease seen in recent years.

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.