Our country is safe and our tourism industry is strong, and measures will be taken to address the challenges, the President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulides, has said reminding that over the last two years there have been record arrivals and record revenues from tourism.
"I had a meeting today (Wednesday, 11 March) with all the relevant authorities, and together we decided on the immediate measures we will take to address any challenges arising from the situation in the region," he said when asked about the issue upon his arrival at SEK’s Pancyprian Conference in Nicosia, stressing that our tourism industry has proven its resilience over time, "and at this juncture, when we face challenges, we will address them as well."
Earlier in the day, in his opening remarks at the broad meeting he chaired at the Presidential Palace with all stakeholders in the tourism sector, President Christodoulides referred to the measures that the Government will take to address issues affecting tourism.
"I thought it appropriate to hold this meeting to coordinate our actions in order to counter the completely false image that some people, especially abroad, are creating," he said.
Specific actions taken
According to the President of the Republic, "we have already taken some specific actions as a government," adding that "it is important to coordinate, as always, between the government and the private sector, to address the issue I mentioned earlier, but also what we can do on the government side to address any repercussions."
As he said, "it was important that last year, as well as 2024, was a record season for tourist arrivals, but also in terms of revenue."
"You are well aware of the importance of the tourism sector to the country's GDP and our economy. It affects many ministries, which is why we have four ministers with us, and we will first look at the data as it stands at the moment, as well as the steps we will take immediately, in the medium and long term if necessary," he concluded.
In statements made after the meeting, Government Spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis said that there was an extensive exchange of views and evaluation of the data to date.
"What was confirmed is the common commitment and shared vision of all of us regarding the preservation of our country's tourism product, a sector that has been on an upward trend in recent years, precisely because of the very hard, intensive, methodical work that has gone before," he continued.
He then described as positive the fact that most airlines' flight schedules have recently been restored, which is leading to normality, given the period.
He added that the State and the relevant bodies have agreed to remain in close coordination in the coming period in order to take action and make decisions, adding that various actions and decisions have been discussed, which will be activated, while it is not ruled out that in the coming period, corresponding meetings will be held precisely for joint actions.
Asked whether decisions had been taken to reverse the image of Cyprus projected internationally, which is responsible for some cancellations in the tourism sector, Letymbiotis said that there was a given or obvious impact due to flight schedules from countries in the region that were affected.
International media
"However, there is also an image presented mainly by the international media, which I think is characterized by exaggeration. Life in our country, as you are well aware, is normal and in no way corresponds to the exaggerations we often see in the international media, and this is something that has been discussed, to be presented in an objective way, in a realistic way, what daily life in Cyprus is like today, how our tourist season has begun and can begin with the best prospects, simply by presenting what is real, what the real picture is," he noted.
Asked if there would be an information campaign, the Spokesperson said that "we all need to contribute, especially you, the media, by presenting the real picture," while asked if this applies to the Cypriot media, the Spokesman said that what is reported by the Cypriot media is also reproduced abroad.
"Of course, to the extent that we ourselves do the same as a state, and the parties involved do the same, these efforts should be intensified so that the real picture is reproduced, the real facts, what is currently happening in our country," he concluded.
For his part, the Secretary General of the Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Philokypros Rousounides, welcomed on behalf of the business community the quick response shown these days, in order to give a true picture in Cyprus and abroad and to ensure the continuation of the tourism industry, one of the lungs, as he said, of the Cypriot economy.
He also called on all sides to be "very cautious and careful" about the image that is being projected abroad, on social media and elsewhere, which may also be broadcast abroad, where there have been a number of reports that did not correspond to the real picture on the island at the moment and caused great damage.
"We are at the disposal of the State, a series of actions have been agreed upon, and we hope that as soon as possible we will be able to communicate the real picture that currently exists on the island," he added.
In turn, the President of the Cyprus Hotels Association (PASYXE), Thanos Michaelides, spoke of a very good exchange of views and analysis of the events.
"PASYXE has every reason to believe that with the right actions and the goodwill of all of us, we can continue the excellent progress that Cyprus tourism has made over the last two years. We have made our recommendations and we are confident that, following on from these, we will be able to develop actions that will continue the upward trend in our tourist flow," he added.
Financial assistance
Asked if financial assistance or support measures had been requested by the association, Michaelides said that it is not a matter of financial support for the sector but how we can continue to develop tourism.
He added that, given the developments, some areas, such as the Middle East, have suffered a serious decline due to the closure of airports, adding that the goal is to move forward dynamically in order to gain ground for the upcoming summer season.
Asked if the momentum in tourism had been lost, PASYXE President replied in the negative.
"The momentum has not been lost, we had a problem in March, you understand that with the closure of airports in the Middle East, a part of the tourist flow for March has been lost. You also understand that there has been a decline in bookings for March and April, and we are here to ensure that we can start the summer season on a strong note," he added.
Finally, the President of the Association of Cyprus Tourism Enterprises (STEK), Akis Vavlitis, said that a constructive meeting was held with the President of the Republic and tourism stakeholders, during which suggestions and opinions were exchanged.
"The industry is ready to open as normal, as it does every year. We have been through several crises like this one, and we will overcome it. What we have agreed is that we will be in contact with the President of the Republic and the relevant ministers so that any problems that arise in the opening of the hotel industry can be resolved. We definitely need to change the climate that exists in the international media, which suggests that Cyprus is not functioning normally, as well as our own media, which is reproducing some of this information, which is not actually true," he concluded.
(Source: CNA)
