Cypriots opting for overseas New Year celebrations

Many Cypriots are choosing to fly abroad for New Year’s celebrations, with Greece, the United Kingdom, and Central European countries being the top picks, according to Charis Papacharalambous, president of the Cyprus Association of Travel and Tourist Agents (ACTA).

Speaking to the Cyprus News Agency (CNA), Papacharalambous said that the number of Cypriots travelling abroad “will be slightly higher than in 2019, before the pandemic, which was the best year for Cypriot outbound travel”.

In addition, he mentioned that exact figures are currently unavailable as some people make their own travel plans. However, he noted that official statistics will be available a few weeks after the holiday period.

Responding to a question on the most popular destinations, the ACTA president stated that Cypriots prefer Greece first and foremost.

Beyond that, other popular destinations include the UK. Austria, France, Italy, Hungary, Czech Republic, Poland, Romania, and Germany.

What is more, he noted that the average duration of Cypriots’ stay abroad during the holiday period is between 4 to 5 nights.

Papacharalambous explained that “prices during this period were generally not prohibitive” for the majority of the population.

Furthermore, he highlighted a general shift in perception, mentioning that travel, once considered a luxury, has become more commonplace among people.

In a previous update, the ACTA president said that there was an expectation that a high number of Cypriots would travel abroad for the holidays.

“The workload for most people in the next weeks is set to decrease as we’re in the final week of Christmas, and the majority of reservations have been processed,” he said at the time.

He added  that those who have not made reservations by the final few days before Christmas would likely struggle to find available seats on flights or hotels, and if they do, the prices could be “significantly high.”

Additionally, he partly attributed the increase in Cypriots’ travelling abroad to the increased availability of destinations compared to 2019, primarily due to better connectivity, especially during the winter season.

“Visits to European capitals are popular during the winter. More distant destinations, such as the Far East, are also on the rise, but in a much smaller percentage,” he stated.

“We tend to stick to our preferences, considering that choices also depend on available flights. When someone plans a four-day trip, destinations with direct flights take priority,” he added.

It should be noted that Papacharalambous was elected as the president of the erstwhile Cyprus Association of Travel Agents during the association’s general assembly, held earlier this month, where it was also decided to update the organisation’s name to the Cyprus Association of Travel and Tourist Agents.