CTO hopes for recovery in tourist arrivals from UK to Cyprus

By Kyriakos Tsioupras

London  (CNA) — Cyprus Tourist Organisation (CTO) President Panos Englezos appeared hopeful for a turnaround in tourist arrivals from the United Kingdom to Cyprus by the end of the year.

Englezos, who is in London to attend the World Travel Market exhibition, told CNA that tourist arrivals from the UK to Cyprus recorded so far a 4% decrease compared to last year’s corresponsive period.

He noted that the decrease reached 16% in springtime, while it was contained at 8% and was eventually further reduced to a current 4%.

”We hope for a further containment of the downward tendency, if not a total recovery by the end of the year,” he said, adding that tourist bookings from Britain for the summer of 2008 appear improved compared to those of the current year.

The CTO President said that tourist arrivals from Russia, Scandinavian countries and Arab states recorded an increase for 2007.