President of the hoteliers association (Pasyxe) Thanos Michaelides on Friday said that Paphos has significant potential to boost visitor numbers.

In addition, he also said that the district can attract higher-income tourists who are likely to spend more during their stay, supporting the district’s wider tourism economy.

Speaking to the Cyprus News Agency (CNA), Michaelides underlined the need for a more targeted promotion campaign for Paphos aimed at attracting travellers with greater disposable income.

He also emphasised the importance of diversifying the district’s source markets to reduce its heavy reliance on the United Kingdom and Israel.

“We must increase the origin of tourists from more markets so as to reduce the dependence on only two markets,” he said.

He added that central and northern Europe hold strong opportunities for growth. 

While the UK and Israel remain Paphos’ most important markets, Michaelides said maintaining those figures while boosting arrivals from Germany, Austria and Scandinavia would provide greater resilience.

Travellers from these regions, he explained, are often willing to pay higher prices for destinations with sandy beaches and easy access to the sea.

However, he acknowledged one key challenge. “Despite having very clean waters, access to the sea is quite limited due to the nature of the coastline.”

Referring to plans for breakwaters and ongoing coastal improvement works in Yeroskipou, he said these developments would strengthen the district’s appeal to visitors from central and northern Europe.

Michaelides also highlighted the value of investing in other sectors, mentioning Paphos’ renowned archaeological sites which he described as “very well known and worth visiting” along with its gastronomy and winemaking.

“These exist in Paphos, but they need continuous improvement and promotion as an experience,” he said.

He pointed out that sports tourism, including cycling and running, could also help extend the season and attract visitors from October to April.

“If we manage to improve all this, then this will also be the incentive for airlines to increase their flights to Paphos airport, which is an important part of connectivity,” Michaelides concluded.