Cyprus hoteliers association Pasyxe has elected Yiannos Pantazis as its new president, with Thanos Michaelides stepping down after three years in the role, as the association marked its 90th anniversary and unveiled a new digital platform aimed at strengthening decision-making across the hotel sector.

The change in leadership took place during Pasyxe’s annual general meeting in Nicosia, attended by President Nikos Christodoulides, House president Annita Demetriou, ministers, party leaders, ambassadors, MPs, local authority representatives and members of Cyprus’ wider business community.

Taking over the presidency, Pantazis praised Michaelides’ contribution to the association and said he was certain that, although he was stepping down from the post, the outgoing president would remain close to Pasyxe’s work.

“With full awareness of the responsibility, I undertake duties with the aim of strengthening, to the extent possible, the progress of the hotel industry and tourism in the country,” Pantazis said, adding that he would work to justify the trust shown in him by Pasyxe members and looked forward to constructive cooperation with the association’s general director, secretariat, board and wider membership.

The new association board for 2026–2029 includes Andreas Kapetanios as deputy president, Panayiotis Constantinou as first vice president, Andreas Tsokkos as second vice president, Jason Perdios as secretary and Alexios Chrysafinis as financial administrator.

They will be joined on the board by Christiana Iakovidou, Christos Tsanos, Marios Polyviou, Evripides Loizides, Andreas Mandalas, Athena Loizidou, Aris Aristidou, Nikos Katsounotos, Ioanna Florentiadou, Evelyn Kleanthos Komodromou and Anna Michaelides.

The board also includes Themis Filippidis, Marinos Kounnas, Agathoklis Konstantinou, Marilena Konstantinou, George Tofinis and Petros Liasis, while Haris Loizides was named honorary president.

In his farewell address, Michaelides said he was leaving the presidency with a clear conscience, while remaining an active supporter of the collective effort to support and strengthen Cypriot tourism. He thanked the board, the association members and the government for the cooperation developed during his term.

Marking 90 years since Pasyxe’s establishment, Michaelides emphasised the association’s role in the development of Cyprus’ hotel and tourism industry, noting its contribution to employment, infrastructure and the wider economy.

He also pointed to the strong recovery of tourism after the pandemic, saying that 2025 brought a new record of more than 4.5 million arrivals, up 12.22 per cent compared with 2024. Tourism revenue, he added, reached almost €3.7 billion, confirming the sector’s importance to the Cypriot economy.

However, Michaelides warned that the positive start to the year has been disrupted by the crisis in the Middle East, which has created uncertainty and directly affected hotel occupancy.

He said that recent developments in the region made it even more urgent to strengthen the state’s preparedness mechanisms and take decisive measures to protect Cyprus’ tourism product.

To that end, Pasyxe submitted a series of proposals aimed at making the sector more resilient, including the creation of a permanent crisis management team with the participation of all key tourism stakeholders, a permanent tourism advisory board bringing together the private sector and the Deputy Ministry of Tourism, and a single licensing authority, or one-stop shop, to simplify procedures and support investment.

A key part of the annual meeting was the presentation of Xenios Analytics, Pasyxe’s new digital platform. The platform is designed to collect and analyse data on hotel performance, efficiency and operating costs by region and district, offering more reliable and documented information to members, the state and other stakeholders.

President Christodoulides congratulated Pantazis on his election and praised Pasyxe’s contribution to the development of tourism, hospitality and the wider economy.

He described the association as a strategic partner in the effort to upgrade Cyprus’ tourism product, while stressing that tourism remains one of the country’s most important economic pillars, with a strong contribution to both activity and employment.

Christodoulides also referred to the role of the hotel industry during Cyprus’ Presidency of the Council of the EU, saying the sector has the infrastructure and know-how needed to provide high-level services and hospitality.

At the same time, he thanked Michaelides for his significant contribution and expressed confidence that cooperation with Pasyxe would continue in the same spirit of mutual trust under the new board.