Paphos hotels were full during the Kataklysmos Flood Festival long weekend

The President of the Paphos Hotels Association, Euripides Loizides, has expressed satisfaction with the occupancy rate at Paphos hotels during the Kataklysmos Flood Festival long weekend, saying that it exceeded 90%.

Also known as the Flood Festival, Kataklysmos marks Pentecost, a Christian holiday which takes place on the 49th day after Easter Day. It commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles of Jesus.

In statements to CNA, Loizides also described June as "problematic" as, as he said, the higher cost of living has "killed" multi-day visits to Cyprus.

The occupancy rate recorded in Paphos hotels in June is currently around 75%, he added.

When asked to expand on this, he said that Paphos has a tradition as a family destination, but there are also hotels that only accept couples, while the Paphos district has the full range of hotel accommodations.

The President of the Paphos Hotels Association noted that statistics show that the increase in tourists in Cyprus by the end of April was around 14.5%, noting that these involved the winter months.

He estimated that this percentage will have dropped in May and June and said that tourist traffic is expected to be in line with last year's figures.

As for the markets that hold the lead in the Paphos district, the first market, he noted, is the UK market, while it seems that the Polish market follows in terms of revenue figures, then followed by the Israeli market.

Loizides described the suspension of twelve flights per week from Israel to Paphos airport as a loss. Although the Israeli market is "uncertain" due to many cancellations, it is nevertheless welcome, he added.

Regarding the problems facing the hotel industry, Loizides referred to the staff, saying that new entrants need a lot of time to be trained. He finally said that the water problem must be addressed with a long-term plan.

(Sources: CNA, InBusinessNews)