Low occupancy rates in Paphos hotels this December

Paphos hotels won’t get more than 35 per cent occupancy this Christmas period with only about 7,500 units operational, according to Thanos Michaelides of the Paphos hoteliers association (Pasyxe).

He said on Friday that while the Polis Chrysochous Christmas village was a welcome boost it did not significantly change the outlook.

Michaelides added that the hotels which remain open are also doing so to assist the airlines and ensure that there is a steady flow of tourists during the winter.

He explained that January and February are always the most challenging for the sector but that the 2022-2023 period is lower than that of 2019, which was a record year for Cyprus.

As for next year, Michaelides emphasised it is still too early to make definitive statements but that the feelers put out to the British market are looking quite positive.

He said that now the tourists to Paphos are mainly pensioners from the UK, Germany, Poland and other smaller markets.

A constant concern to the hoteliers is the high cost of electricity, he concluded.