CYPRUS: Positive Tourism Trends In 2016

The positive trend recorded in Cyprus’ tourism is expected to continue in 2016, said Minister of Energy, Trade, Industry, and Tourism Yiorgos Lakkotrypis, pointing out at the same time the great global challenges for the tourist industry expected to affect Cyprus as well.

In his address at the 38th conference of the Cyprus Hotel Association (CHA), read by the President of Cyprus Tourism Association Angelos Loizou, Lakkotrypis said that the unrest in the global geopolitical scene and the continuing threat of terrorism is estimated to negatively affect both global tourism and in particular tourism in the region of the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East, with which potential visitors are connecting Cyprus due to geographical proximity.

He also pointed out the risk of a domino effect on the sustainability of large tour operators because of losses they suffer in certain countries, with possible negative economic fallout on other destinations.

He noted however that government efforts to upgrade the tourist product and increase the flow of tourists to Cyprus will carry on.

Lakkotrypis said that 2015 was not an easy year for tourism and that the achievements of local tourism with nearly a 9 per cent increase in arrivals were not coincidental and have little to do with the problems in neighbouring countries.

Referring to the increase in tourist arrivals, the Minister said that in 2015 there was a large influx of tourists by many of the target markets, mainly 19.5 per cent from the UK, 30 per cent from Germany, 43 per cent from Israel, 38 per cent from Greece, 25 per cent from France, 32 per cent from the Netherlands, 35 per cent from Austria, 49 per cent from Poland and 23 per cent from the Ukraine. As he said, the increases outweighed the inevitable reductions in arrivals from Russia and the Nordic countries.

At the same time he referred to large tourist projects promoted by the Government that will diversify Cyprus by competing destinations like new golf developments, additional marinas and the creation of an integrated casino-resort.

He also said that the Ministry intends to substantially improve the air connectivity of Cyprus and facilitate visas from countries considered pure tourists exporters like China.

To this end, he said, the government is proceeding with establishing five authorized centers for visa application in China with a view to creating another ten in the future.