The flow of tourist bookings has improved, but for now it is not strong enough to cover the gap created by cancellations and the period we lost -namely March and April-, said PASYXE (Cyprus hotel association) Director General Christos Angelides in statements to the Cyprus News Agency (CNA). He also stressed the need for an “aggressive market strategy using a combination of tools," referring to online promotion, hosting travel agents, journalists and influencers.
“We need to do everything at an excellent level and for a sustained period in order to lift the cloud of uncertainty that has settled over Cyprus, both due to recent events and our proximity to developments in the Middle East,” he noted.
There is no need for panic, he added. “We are the industry of joy, life, and optimism, and we must not forget that.”
Angelides said this will be a challenging year that must be handled calmly, “without damaging either our reputation or the smooth operation of our hotels.”
He noted that March and April have unfortunately been lost, adding that “May is significantly behind both our expectations and last year’s performance.”
“As the days go by, it unfortunately appears that we will not achieve the May results we had planned, whether as businesses or as a country,” he said, adding that “we must now focus on the rest of the season to ensure it is not lost as well.”
According to PASYXE there is a weakness in booking flows.
“Bookings have improved, but not to the extent needed to make up for the losses from cancellations and from the key booking period we missed, which is April, the period when summer bookings are typically secured,” he added.
“We are now inevitably entering the phase of last-minute bookings,” he noted.
He also pointed out that Cyprus is competing with “major players” such as Spain, Turkey, Greece, Tunisia, Egypt, and Morocco, which are cheaper destinations with lower operating costs.
He added that flight times to destinations like Spain, the Canary Islands, and the Balearics are much shorter, making tickets cheaper, while routes can be served two to three times daily.
In contrast, flights to Cyprus typically operate only once per day from countries such as Sweden, Poland, and the UK.
Occupancy rates for this summer are currently between 40% and 60%, compared to 80%–85% in previous years.
“What concerns us most is the flow of bookings, which is currently five to six times lower,” he said.
The Director General stressed the need for stronger promotion of the country and closer cooperation with airlines.
He added that “major joint campaigns with tour operators are needed from now through summer 2027.”
Planning by tour operators and airlines for 2027 has already begun, and “we must provide them with incentives and a sense of security as partners,” he said.
Asked about seasonal staff, Angelides said this is a major concern, as “seasonal workers are the backbone of a hotel.”
He said efforts are being made to strike a balance, prioritising the hiring of seasonal workers over foreign staff. However, in many cases seasonal workers do not have the required specialisations, particularly for lower-skilled roles such as cleaning.
“Gradually, we will bring them all back, or at least most of them,” he concluded.
(Source: InBusinessNews)
