COVID19: State ensures a rebooked Cyprus holiday has no extra cost

Cypriot MPs on Friday approved a law allowing the state to guarantee tourists who booked and paid for a Cyprus holiday but were unable to come due to lockdown, can reschedule at no extra cost.

The bill allows the state to guarantee vouchers to be issued by tour operators to tourists who missed out on their holidays due to the lockdown imposed to stem the spread of COVID-19 in March.

The bill was voted in with 34 votes in favour, 1 against while 17 MPs abstained.

With the law approved, the state will guarantee vouchers worth around €80 mln.

According to the note accompanying the bill, the new legislation grants the right to tour agents, hotels and other tourism-related enterprises to issue state-guaranteed credit notes to holidaymakers who have already prepaid for their holiday but saw their packages cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The government bill allows visitors to reschedule their holidays, as will not lose the money paid for their package deal that had to be cancelled.

Holidaymakers are also guaranteed their holiday or their money back even if the tour company goes bust in the meantime.

According to the law’s provisions, tourists will be given a voucher (credit note), which can be redeemed up until the end of 2021.

If the credit note is not redeemed by the holder by December 31, 2021, the tour operator will be obliged to pay out a full refund no later than 31 January 2022.

Parliament convened at the larger Cyprus Conference Center due to social distancing rules.