2010 will be difficult year, says Minister
If you thought tourism was bad this year with foreign visitors evidently less on the beaches this summer, then get ready for a worse year in 2010, as our main source of supply from the UK will continue to dwindle simply because Cyprus is still an expensive destination.
A lot of the UK tour operators, and in particular the Cyprus-specialist travel agencies, had to do a lot of discounting this year in order to attract the declining number of British tourists to the island’s shores.
“Britain enjoyed some good weather this year, keeping many at home, but as the weather worsened, people chose far-away and cheaper destinations, particularly where the Sterling rate was not prohibitive,” said Noel Josephides, former chairman of the Association of Independent Tour Operators (AITO) and Director of Sunvil Travel.
Industry experts suggest that destinations outside the eurozone, such as Turkey, Egypt, the U.S. and the Caribbean were more popular this year.
Even Commerce and Tourism Minister Antonis Paschalides admits that 2010 will be a “difficult year” for Cyprus tourism, adding that efforts were being made to increase tourist arrivals from various countries.
“The U.K. has been affected greatly because of the Sterling/Euro rate. Eurozone countries are at a disadvantage of being more expensive destinations,” the minister said.
He said he was encouraged by the fact that there could be a net increase of airline seat commitments as many operators were maintaining last year’s targets and possibly increasing their allocations.
Paschalides said the issue of high airport fees at the new Larnaca airport would be examined by his Ministry, adding that the aim was to have “a high level airport with the lowest possible cost” and that the Ministry of Commerce and the Cyprus Tourism Organisation (CTO) would be looking into the matter.
He added that in 2009 there were more airlines than ever flying to Cyprus and noted that “we must continue to provide motives and create a relative market.” Several new airlines are interested to fly to Cyprus, he added.
Paschalides said efforts were being made to facilitate tourists by solving the problem with visas and flight connections, as well as hotels of various levels and prices.
He added that the culture, civilisation and countryside of Cyprus, not only its sun and sea, must be promoted, since many people are interested in that type of tourism.
UK MARKET
Asked about the recent World Travel Market trade exhibition in London, Paschalides said he had many contacts with large travel agents, as well as smaller associations and airlines, adding that the government's package of measures to support the tourist industry was welcomed by many.
Pachalides argued that the primary target is to maintain the tourist inflows from the UK market at close to 2009 levels (-15% YoY for 10M09) as UK travellers find Cyprus expensive compared to other similar destinations but also the weak sterling (vs. the euro) also deters positive tourism inflows vis-à-vis 2009 inflows.
Up until 2008, the UK market contributed about 55% of all tourist arrivals on the island, thus making it a vital source of the sector and the economy in general.
