Recent reports in the Daily Express about a supposed “panic” in Cyprus’ tourism industry due to a “huge drop” in bookings have been deemed outdated and sensationalist by local industry experts.
The general director of the Cyprus Hoteliers Association (Pasyxe) Philokypros Roussounides, and Chrisemily Psilogeni, director of the Association of Cyprus Tourist Enterprises (Stek), both stressed that tourist arrivals and hotel bookings are not equally proportional.
The tabloid’s alarmist headline claimed the industry was in “crisis” and facing potential losses of £30 million.
However, Roussounides clarified to the Cyprus News Agency (CNA) that the article relied on now outdated data.
“Both the headline is a bit far-fetched and the publication is also a bit out of time,” he stated, noting that additional flights have been added since the data was collected.
Moreover, Roussounides expressed cautious optimism, saying that current tourist arrivals are at last year’s levels.
This, he argued, demonstrates the industry’s resilience amid various challenges and geopolitical turbulence.
“These are figures that show the resilience of the industry,” he said, underscoring the importance of continued investment and strengthening of the sector.
However, he also pointed out that occupancy rates and overnight stays do not match tourist arrivals one-to-one due to a shift towards short-term rental accommodations and stays in the occupied areas.
While bookings are generally close to last year’s levels on a daily basis, Roussounides warned that any negative developments in the region could drastically change the situation.
Addressing the claim of a €30 million loss in revenue, he explained that the figure was linked to the bankruptcy of Germany’s second-largest tour operator a few months ago.
Though this did impact the Cypriot tourism sector, Roussounides said that the long-term effects have been more limited than initially feared.
Psilogeni, meanwhile, said that there was a decline in bookings compared to last year, which she attributed to both local and global challenges facing the tourism sector.
“Arrivals at airports may be up today compared to last year, but Stek has made it clear many times that arrivals are one thing, while occupancy rates and revenue to the country’s coffers are another,” she said.
She added that recent data shows a decrease in both the average length of stay and per capita expenditure by tourists.
Psilogeni stressed the need to increase tourist flows from specific markets and attract higher quality tourism.
“Taking into account the inflation trend, tourism revenues have been losing billions in recent years,” she said.
The Daily Express report also used comments from Thanos Michaelides, President of the Paphos Hoteliers Association, who emphasised the need to extend the tourist season by keeping hotels open year-round.
Additionally, the report referenced a statement from the Cypriot Deputy Minister of Tourism made last May, which forecasted achieving annual targets based on data from the first four months of the year.
This publication comes after a series of reports in the same newspaper and other British publications about “warnings” to British tourists wanting to holiday in the Mediterranean due to the prolonged heatwave, fires, local reactions against over-tourism, and even the outbreak of a new variant of coronavirus.
