Local hoteliers hail new era in Cypriot tourism
DOMESTIC tourism has doubled in the past year with Cypriots taking more short breaks at home than ever before, the Hoteliers Association PASYXE said yesterday.
Speaking at a news conference to launch this year’s winter brochure offers, PASYXE chairman Haris Loizides said that “slowly, slowly” Cypriots were choosing to spend their short breaks at home.
Cypriots are now regarded as just as good if not better tourists than those coming from abroad as domestic tourism hits an all-time high this year.
The slowdown in overseas arrivals over the past three years has forced hoteliers, who for years were chasing the golden goose of foreign tourism, to look to the home market, and the home market is responding in unprecedented numbers.
The number of ‘Cypriot’ overnight stays in the island’s hotels has tripled in the past ten years and last year 1.5 million guest nights at the island’s hotels were taken up by locals. This is triple the number it was ten years ago.
Loizides said the hoteliers were ensuring the trend was maintained by continuing to offer good deals to local residents.
Cyprus Tourism Organisation (CTO) chairman Photis Photiou said domestic tourism was now a strategic objective
“There are a lot of advantages in the achievement that of objective,” he said, referring to the filling of hotel beds during the winter period when many establishments have in the past closed their doors until the summer season relaunches.
Loizides said this year’s brochure of special offers included 84 total hotels, apartments and tourist villages, compared to 62 units last year.
“The offers are very attractive and the revised list can be found every where,” he said including the Bank of Cyprus, the PASYXE offices and local CTO offices in all towns.
Speaking on tourism in general, Photiou said the CTO was forecasting an increase of between 3-5 per cent in 2006. He said it would be another difficult year for tourism.
“There will be intense competition following the recession recessions in certain EU countries` economies,” he said.
However there was a strong possibility of an increase from the UK, the island’s biggest market, said Photiou
According to the figures, domestic tourism now accounts for ten per cent of all tourism, which amounts to around 250,000 Cypriots taking a break locally.
In the past five years, hoteliers have acknowledged that the Cyprus domestic market is at least as attractive as any international market with high spending, and Cypriots have responded accordingly to the offers.
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