Cyprus tourism needs vision

Sir,

As a consultant for the travel industry in the UK, and as a Cypriot, I was very interested to read the problems Cyprus tourism is encountering with the reduction in traditional holidaymakers to Cyprus.

Over the last few years, the travel industry Europe wide, especially in the UK, has changed dramatically, the traditional package holiday is fast being taken over by DIY (do it yourself) packages, the internet being the major player and tool, to enable people to give themselves complete control and flexibility of their holiday arrangements. The CTO should have been keeping a careful eye on the changing patterns, meeting with hoteliers and airlines, and changing with the times. The travel industry anywhere in the world is customer led, and as an industry we need to give customers what they want and not protect our own interests because it suits us. Cyprus is lucky, as it is still a popular destination. It now needs leadership and vision to take it to a higher level, where it belongs.

Eddie Tidanian, London W13

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.