Larnaca tourism thrives despite regional conflicts

The head of the Larnaca Hoteliers Association Marios Polyviou said the levels of hotel occupancy and tourist arrivals in town over the past month were satisfactory.

Speaking to the Cyprus News Agency (CNA) on Friday, Polyviou said that, despite difficult circumstances posed by the ongoing conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine, the city managed to extend the tourist season, a goal shared across the country’s tourism industry.

Polyviou noted high occupancy rates, even in November, especially in hotels located in the town centre.

He also added that hoteliers with businesses in the areas of Pyla and Oroklini used the winter period and lower hotel occupancy rates for renovations in preparation for the next tourist season.

Polyviou estimated that the year’s figures closely match 2019’s occupancy rates, calling 2023 “the first successful year after the Covid-19 pandemic.”

Regarding predictions for 2024, Polyviou mentioned that aside from concerns about the Israel-Hamas conflict, which affects the second-largest market for Cyprus and especially Larnaca, “there’s nothing worrisome on the horizon.”

“I hope for an end to the conflict in order to restore normality,” he added, stressing Israel’s significance as an important tourism market.

Reflecting on recent tourist arrivals, he balanced the impact of arrivals from other markets against a slight decrease due to the conflict. However, according to Polyviou the overall tourist numbers didn’t exhibit significant losses.

Regarding the Russian market, he said the industry faced a considerable decline in tourists due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. The Russian market, which previously contributed around 800,000 tourists, saw only 40 visitors this year, a minimal number compared to previous figures.

He concluded by acknowledging the recorded figures in Larnaca as indicative of the general growth in the city.

Echoing Polyviou, the head of the Famagusta Hoteliers Association Panayiotis Constantinou also deemed 2023 “a good year for tourism”.

“The year progressed according to our predictions, being very close to 2019 in terms of tourist arrivals in the Famagusta district,” he told the CNA.

“In terms of revenue, we fared even higher than 2019, but at the same time, the profitability of hotel units was reduced due to their high operating costs.

Constantinou also acknowledged that a high number of tourists arriving in Cyprus landed in Larnaca or Paphos but decided to spend their time in the north.

He also said the number of visitors in Cyprus after the summer months was surprisingly positive.

“However, due to the conflict in Gaza, interest in tourism in our district decreased, both from tour operators and companies, as well as from individual clients.

“This phenomenon is nationwide but appears to have affected the Famagusta area more,” he said, adding that, at the moment, hotel occupancy rates in the district hover around 50 per cent.

Regarding bookings from the British market, Constantinou said that “the predictions for 2024 are good.”

“However, the British, as well as other important markets for Cyprus, have been affected by the conflict in Gaza, and we see that currently, bookings are somewhat reduced. We expect them to pick up in the first two months of the new year, as it’s the primary booking period.”