The quality of the Cyprus tourism industry is a one way street, Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades has said.
President Anastasiades was addressing the graduation ceremony of the Higher Hotel Institute of Cyprus (HHIC), delivered by his Office’s Director Panayiotis Antoniou.
He further pledged to the young graduates that he will fight at EU level in order for measures to be taken which will give young people a chance to work and to use their skills.
The financial crisis, he said, has highlighted once more tourism’s essential contribution to the economy of Cyprus as well as the multiple positive effects it has on other economic sectors such as the property sector, financial services, trade and agriculture.
“For the Cyprus tourism industry, quality is a one way street, so that it may compete effectively with other cheaper tourist destinations which are increasing in the tourist map”, he noted.
Referring to the efforts that need to be undertaken he underscored the need for all actors to work collectively in order to help rebuild the island’s economy, just as they did after the Turkish invasion and occupation of the country’s northern third in 1974.
He assured at the same time that the government will strongly and decisively support this effort expressing the belief that it will be crucial to dealing with the economic crisis.
President Anastasiades referred to the various measures taken by the government to support tourism among others a fund of €21 million for the employment of 6,000 unemployed people in the tourist industry.
He further noted that the Cabinet has already decided for the establishment of another two programmes to combat unemployment, one of which concerning purely the hotel and restaurant industry.
The President of the Republic said also that the government aims to lengthen the tourist season by two months.
Finally, he assured that it his own personal and the government’s aim to overcome the crisis and recession by creating the right prospects for the future.
Last March Cyprus agreed with international lenders on €10 billion aid package, under which it closed down the Popular Bank, and imposed painful losses on deposits of more than €100,000 held at the euro zone state`s biggest lender, Bank of Cyprus. Both institutions were heavily exposed to the Greek debt.
