A leadership transition took place at PASYXE, with Thanos Michaelides handing over the presidency of the Association to Giannos Pantazis after three years of service, during the Annual General Assembly.
This year’s General Assembly, which coincided with PASYXE’s 90th anniversary, was held at the Hilton Hotel in Nicosia in the presence of the President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulides, the President of the House of Representatives, Ms. Annita Demetriou, and other officials and key figures of the country’s economy.
In his first statement as the new President of PASYXE, Giannos Pantazis praised the valuable contribution and work of Thanos Michaelides, expressing confidence that although he is stepping down from the presidency, he will continue to support the Association. “With full awareness of the responsibility, I assume my duties with the aim of strengthening, as much as possible, the progress of the hotel industry and tourism in our country. I will work to justify the trust shown in me by PASYXE members and look forward to constructive cooperation with the Director General, the secretariat, and the members of the Board and the Association as a whole.”
In addition to the change in presidency, the new Board of Directors of PASYXE was elected as follows:
Deputy President – Andreas Kapetanios
First Vice President – Panayiotis Constantinou
Second Vice President – Andreas Tsokkos
Secretary – Iason Perdios
Treasurer – Alexios Chrysofinis
Member – Christiana Iacovides
Member – Christos Tsanos
Member – Marios Polyviou
Member – Evripides Loizides
Member – Andreas Mantalas
Member – Athena Loizidou
Member – Aris Aristeidou
Member – Nikos Katsounotos
Member – Ioanna Florentiadou
Member – Evelyn Cleanthous Komodromou
Member – Anna Michaelidou
Member – Themis Philippides
Member – Marinos Kounnas
Member – Agathoklis Constantinou
Member – Marilena Constantinou
Member – Giorgos Tofinis
Member – Petros Liasis
Honorary President – Haris Loizides
In his farewell speech, outgoing President Thanos Michaelides stated that he leaves the position with a clear conscience, while remaining an active supporter of the collective effort to strengthen Cypriot tourism. He thanked the Board of Directors, the Association’s members, and the Government for their cooperation during his term.
Referring to the milestone of PASYXE’s 90th anniversary, Michaelides highlighted the Association’s decisive role in the development of Cyprus’ hotel and tourism industry, contributing significantly to employment, infrastructure improvement, and economic growth.
He also referred extensively to the strong performance of tourism in recent years, especially following the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2025, a new historic record was reached with more than 4.5 million arrivals, marking a 12.22% increase compared to 2024. At the same time, tourism revenue reached nearly €3.7 billion, confirming the sector’s positive contribution to the Cypriot economy.
Although the current year began with positive prospects, Michaelides noted that the tourism sector now faces significant challenges due to the crisis in the Middle East, which has created uncertainty and directly affected hotel occupancy. “Recent developments in the Middle East make it even more urgent to strengthen state preparedness mechanisms and take decisive measures to safeguard our country’s tourism product,” he stressed.
In this context, Michaelides presented several proposals on behalf of PASYXE to enhance the sector’s resilience:
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Establishment of a permanent Crisis Management Team involving all key tourism stakeholders for immediate coordination and decision-making during crises.
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Institutionalization of a permanent Tourism Advisory Body with representatives from the private sector and the Deputy Ministry of Tourism for continuous exchange of views and expertise.
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Creation of a Unified Licensing Authority (One Stop Shop) to simplify procedures and attract investment in the tourism sector.
A key highlight of the Assembly was the presentation of PASYXE’s new digital platform, “Xenios Analytics.” This strategic tool will enable the collection and analysis of data related to hotel performance and operating costs by category and district. As Michaelides explained, the platform will provide reliable and evidence-based information to Association members, the state, and other stakeholders.
In his address, President of the Republic Nikos Christodoulides congratulated the new President Giannos Pantazis and praised PASYXE’s substantial contribution to the development of tourism and hospitality, as well as to the country’s economic growth. He described PASYXE as a partner and strategic ally in the shared effort to upgrade the tourism product.
According to the President, tourism is one of the key pillars of the economy, making a significant contribution to economic activity and employment. He also highlighted PASYXE’s important role during Cyprus’ Presidency of the Council of the European Union, emphasizing the infrastructure and expertise of the hotel industry in delivering high-quality services and hospitality.
President Christodoulides also thanked outgoing President Thanos Michaelides for his significant and multifaceted contribution, expressing confidence that cooperation with PASYXE will continue in a spirit of mutual trust with the new Board.
In his own intervention, Archbishop of Cyprus Georgios noted that tourism is one of the main pillars of the economy, referring to the impact of the Turkish invasion on the hotel industry, the sector’s rapid recovery, and PASYXE’s important role.
During the General Assembly, honorary distinctions were awarded to member families for their long-standing contribution to the hotel industry, as well as to the Church of Cyprus for its contribution to the development of Cypriot tourism.
The Assembly was attended by ministers, party leaders and representatives, ambassadors and members of the diplomatic corps, members of parliament, regional governors, mayors, senior civil servants, heads and executives of semi-governmental organizations, federations, chambers, associations, banks, trade unions, and other officials.
The Official Strategic Partner of the PASYXE Annual General Assembly was EUROBANK CYPRUS, while the Official Sponsors were COFFEE CARE and UiBS Hospitality.
