Nicosia, Cyprus. Cyprus’ tourism sector is expected to face a prolonged effort to reverse a negative trend, despite somewhat more encouraging signals emerging in recent weeks. Industry representatives said demand remains weak and called for closer coordination and support.
Meeting at Deputy Ministry of Tourism
An expanded meeting was held on Monday at the Deputy Ministry of Tourism, where stakeholders reviewed the latest data and discussed steps to contain the impact on the sector and gradually improve conditions.
Stek calls for stronger communication and coordination
Speaking to Politis, Cyprus Tourism Enterprises Association (Stek) director Chrysaimili Psilogeni said the meeting enabled a detailed discussion of how the current crisis is affecting tourism, particularly the hotel industry.
Psilogeni said there is a clear need for steady and meaningful communication between the deputy ministry and tourism bodies, as well as stronger cooperation among the bodies to ensure a more coordinated and timely response to developments.
Promotion, image management and EU support raised
Psilogeni said Stek requested updates on actions being taken to promote the destination and manage Cyprus’ image abroad, and also raised the possibility of targeted European Union support.
She said Cyprus is a special case because it is effectively the only EU member state being affected so directly in tourism, with consequences impacting a key pillar of the economy and connectivity depending almost entirely on air links.
Psilogeni also said the subsidy of employment in the hotel sector should continue, describing it as an important support measure for businesses and jobs.
Pasyxe reports losses for spring months
In the same report, Cyprus Hotel Association (Pasyxe) director-general Christos Angelides said the sector is already counting losses for March and April, with losses also expected in May.
Angelides said coordination among all those involved is imperative.
What measures do you think are most important to support Cyprus’ tourism sector during this downturn?