Cyprus continues to be an attractive tourist destination, Cyprus Tourism Organisation (CTO) President Alecos Orountiotis has said.
Orountiotis, who was addressing the Parliamentary Committee on Financial and Budgetary Affairs, said that after a Eurogroup decision, the CTO has been in touch with tour operators abroad, sending the message that Cyprus continues to be an attractive tourist destination.
The Minister of Tourism Yiorgos Lakkotrypis himself has been in contact with the big tour operators, assuring them that the government will support tourism and that there are no problems as regards tourism in Cyprus.
He further noted that CTO delegations will visit in the immediate future the countries from where the main tourist flows come to Cyprus. He added that there are proposals on the table for additional advertising campaigns.
Replying to a relevant question, Orountiotis said the CTO has been in touch with hoteliers. Prices and special offers for Cypriot and foreign tourists are under discussion.
Asked whether an effort will be made to employ Cypriots in the tourist industry this year, he noted that that there have been some initial discussions between hotelier organizations and trade unions on the matter.
Referring to CTO’s strategic plan for the years 2011 – 2015, he said that the economic situation prevents it from being implemented. He added that restructuring on the basis of economic developments will take place within the CTO.
Asked whether a plan ‘B’ is in place in case the national air carrier Cyprus Airways closes down, Orountiotis said the CTO has planned for the possibility of airlines closing down which would result in a loss of connection between Cyprus and other countries. He warned however that such a development would be very damaging.
According to the data submitted to the Committee, in 2012 tourist arrivals came to 2,464,908, recording an increase of 3%, while income for the period between January and November 2012 from tourism is estimated to have reached €1.88 billion compared to €1.71 billion at the same period of 2011.
In the early hours of Monday, March 25, Euro zone Finance Ministers and the IMF agreed on a 10 billion financial assistance package after the Cypriot authorities agreed to wind down the Cyprus Popular Bank (CPB), the island’s second largest lender, and to restructure the Bank of Cyprus (BOCY), Cyprus’ biggest bank, after imposing losses on deposits above €100,000. This will shrink the island’s large banking sector, resulting in deeper recession.
