Hoteliers express ‘restrained optimism’ ahead of summer season

Despite the Russia-Ukraine war, the Cyprus Hotels Association (Pasyxe) on Saturday expressed restrained optimism for summer bookings in local hotels.

The association’s director, Philokypros Roussounides spoke to radio Trito saying that there were bookings from different countries, despite Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, two of the biggest tourist markets for the island.

Russia is traditionally Cyprus’ second biggest tourism market, and before the war, Cyprus was expecting some 800,000 visitors from the two countries.

Bookings are being made from the UK and Israel, Roussounides said. He added that reservations were also coming from other markets such as Germany, France, Austria, Poland and Finland, from where over 25 flights are arriving in Cyprus every week.

Regarding the Pentecost (Kataklysmos) long weekend, the hotelier estimated that capacity may reach 80 per cent.

Roussounides said the aim is to make this year’s tourist season better than last year’s so that in the coming years to reach the record levels of 2019, which saw four million arrivals.

Meanwhile, government has implemented schemes to promote domestic tourism.

The state is subsidising summer holidays until July 31 this year. For the period of May 1 to June 9, the minimum stay is two nights and for the period June 10 to July 31, three nights. Maximum stay is seven nights.

Under the programme, each room will be subsidised by €20 a day. To check out participating businesses per district visit: https://www.visitcyprus.com/index.php/el/domestic-tourism-2022.

Furthermore, low-income pensioners can apply for fully subsidised full board    three-night stays in mountain resorts during the June-July and September-October period.