Alarm bells over unregistered Paphos tourist units

The Paphos Regional Tourism Board (Etap) recently completed a survey revealing that the district has a capacity of approximately 20,000 beds, across 6,000 self-catering accommodation units, which includes villas, houses, and apartments.

According to a statement by Etap, these 20,000 beds are evenly distributed, with about 50 per cent in apartments and the remaining 50 per cent in houses or villas.

The breakdown includes approximately 4,000 beds in the Paphos district, 3,600 in the Peyia municipality, 1,300 in Kouklia, 800 in the Polis municipality, 750 in Neo Chorio, 700 in Chloraka, 400 in Kissonerga, 400 in Argaka, and around 150 in Yeroskipou. The remaining beds are scattered across various communities.

Additionally, according to information provided in the announcement, approximately 15,000 beds are already registered on the Deputy Ministry of Tourism’s official platform, while another 5,000 are available through various digital platforms and channels, such as AirBnB.

These results confirm initial estimates that predicted a total tourist capacity exceeding 50,000 beds across the entire district, compared to the approximately 29,500 beds officially licensed by the Deputy Ministry of Tourism.

Etap Paphos said that it “considers the availability of 20,000 beds, approximately 40 per cent of the total beds, without undergoing any inspection based on the provisions for self-catering, a serious issue for the destination’s reputation”.

Moreover, Etap has called on the authorities to expedite the registration and inspection processes for these accommodation units.

“Of note is the fact that a specific platform offers beds for short-term lease, including beds in a stationary bus“, the announcement concluded.