Coronavirus: Famagusta district urges support for tourism sector

Ayia Napa mayor Christos Zannetou on Wednesday urged the government to find ways to provide immediate support to the tourism industry in the Famagusta district, saying this is vital for people and businesses in the area.

Zannetou had met with travel agents and hotel owners at the “Thalassa Museum” in Ayia Napa, to discuss ways to kickstart the tourism industry after the coronavirus pandemic.

“The purpose of the meeting between the mayor and the representatives of travel agents and of the Hoteliers Association (Pasyxe) was to discuss and exchange views on the upcoming tourist season and the problems faced by people working in the tourism industry,” Ayia Napa municipality said.

“The discussion primarily focused on the developments in the tourism industry and, more in general, on the consequences businesses are facing because of the coronavirus pandemic.

“The most important element that emerged from the discussion is the uncertainty and the concerns that hoteliers and travel agents are facing. Everyone who participated in the meeting stressed the need to implement a protocol on how Cyprus will deal with the tourist flow in the summer as soon as possible.”

Meanwhile, international holiday bookings in the UK surged by as much as 600 per cent after the British government laid out plans to gradually relax coronavirus restrictions, giving battered airlines and tour operators hope that a bumper summer could come to their rescue.

EasyJet said flight bookings from Britain jumped over 300 per cent and holiday bookings surged by more than 600 per cent week on week after the government indicated on Monday that travel could restart from mid-May.

Cyprus, along with Spain, Portugal, Greece and Turkey seem to be the destinations favoured by Britons.