COVID19: Cyprus hoteliers ready to write-off 2020

Cyprus hoteliers are coming to terms with the reality of COVID-19 fallout on tourism, ready to write-off 2020 altogether with hotels in Ayia Napa this summer throwing in the towel.

Hotels in the Famagusta area (Ayia Napa, Protaras) are heavily reliant on British and Russian tourists who are yet to be allowed entry into Cyprus due to their poor coronavirus stats.

British tourists – the island’s biggest market – are expected to be allowed back to Cyprus from August 1 under the condition they test negative for coronavirus.

The Famagusta branch of the Cyprus Hotel Association, after a meeting on Monday with ruling party DISY leader, Averof Neophytou, said that 2020 is a ‘lost year’ for tourism.

In a statement after meeting with Neophytou, the Famagusta CHA branch said: “2020 can be written off as far as tourism is concerned, particularly in the Famagusta area, where hotels are suffering the effects of the coronavirus pandemic and the consequences of travel restrictions.”

Famagusta hoteliers said that they had informed the DISY president of the bleak picture in their region as the messages they are receiving from several markets on which the island’s tourism industry relies on are “far from encouraging”.

“The health of our citizens is paramount and the CHA supports the decision taken by the government not to accept certain groups of tourists without them first undergoing a test, regardless of what impact this might have on tourism and on the economy in general.”

Famagusta CHA is confident “that the tourism industry will overcome the current difficulties and will once again become the pillar of the Cypriot economy.”

Cyprus hotels closed during the outbreak in March and were allowed to reopen from 9 June, by many have chosen to stay shut.