Lost tourist arrivals at 20,000

PRESIDENT OF the Cyprus Tourism Organisation (CTO) Alecos Orountiotis said that the number of tourists who did not manage to arrive in Cyprus due to the volcanic ash cloud, has reached 20,000.

In statements after a broad meeting held yesterday at the CTO Headquarters in Nicosia, Orountiotis said that a large percentage of those tourists have agreed with holiday tour operators to visit Cyprus at a later stage.

“But the remaining tourists will not come to Cyprus,” he added, but did not elaborate further on actual numbers.

The meeting, attended by representatives of the Cyprus Hotel Association, the Association of Cyprus Tourist Enterprises, the Association of Cypriot Travel Agents, Cyprus Airways, Eurocypria and Hermes – Airports, discussed the impact of the air chaos on tourism.

Asked about the additional cost for the tourists, who could not travel to their home countries and stayed extra nights in Cyprus, Orountiotis said that it would be covered to a great extent by the travel agents.

“Travel agents have decided to cover a great part of the additional nights for the tourists they have brought to Cyprus. Some other tourists who came on their own, have paid themselves the additional expenses, while there were some cases when a compromise was reached between the hoteliers and the tourists,” he added.

President of the Cyprus Hotel Association Haris Loizides said that “this crisis may occur again”, adding that ‘‘the next time we must be more prepared and more capable to handle the situation”. (CNA)

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