ALTHOUGH the summer tourism has started quite positively, the focus of the industry should be on attracting winter visitors, Commerce Minister Antonis Paschalides told the annual conference of the Association of Cyprus Travel Agents (ACTA) yesterday.
Last year was a close call, Paschalides said. “Although in 2010 our largest market – that of the UK – was falling, still the increases from the German, Scandinavian markets and especially the Russian one… brought smiles at the end of the year, albeit cautious ones.”
Latest figures show that revenue and arrivals from tourism in the first four months of this year was up by 24 per cent.
Even more cautious was ACTA’s president, Victor Mantovani, who pointed out that the recent rise in tourism “is, with the exception of Russia, to a large extend a result of troubles in competing destinations in North Africa.” Meanwhile, everyone agreed that Cyprus had to attract tourists in the winter.
For Mantovani, Cyprus’ geographical location, climate, small distances as well as historic places already give it “a relative advantage against its competitors”.
Add the safety of the place, “which has become hugely important in the last few years, and you will realise how many accumulated mistakes we must have made to bring winter tourism to this tragic state,” Mantovani said.
A more optimistic Paschalides made reference to a number of works to improve the tourist infrastructure including among others, the upgrading of the International Conference Centre, ongoing works at the Limassol Marina and four new golf fields with plans for an additional two in Larnaca and Paphos.
Also ongoing is the latest advertising campaign, ‘Cyprus in your heart’ which aims to make Cyprus “more attractive and desirable”, said Paschalides.
And a new plan for the years 2011 to 2015, focusing on quality, is already underway, head of the Cyprus Organisation of Tourism, Alekos Orountiotis said.
Last year there was an increase in incoming tourists of 1.5 per cent and a rise in profit of four per cent, which “left us generally satisfied”, Paschalides said.
But Paschalides also mentioned the “great blow” to the tourist industry from the bankruptcy of state-owned airline, Eurocypria, which reduced the number of cheap tickets available to potential tourists.
“We took whatever action was possible under the circumstances to minimise the negative impact to the tourist industry,” Paschalides said.
But that was not quite enough for Mantovani who called for the airline Cyprus Airways – given a €20 million state injection to stay afloat – to “operate according to the standards of a private company, with no state or party interference.”
Paschalides called for collaboration, saying that there is no choice but to “continue giving our best self, individually but also united together,” said Paschalides.
