Thousands of hotel workers in the free district of Famagusta are on edge due to the difficult situation created by the ongoing war escalation in the Middle East.
Cancellations of reservations at tourist accommodation in the area for March and April continue, while at the same time the number of new bookings arriving is significantly lower and disproportionate compared to the cancellations. According to official data from PASYXE Famagusta, bookings for March and April are considerably reduced compared to the same period last year, causing concern among tourism stakeholders in the district and anxiety among employees working in the hotel sector and the wider tourism industry. At the same time, some cancellations for May are gradually beginning to appear, while cancellations for the upcoming summer remain much fewer, at least at this stage.
It is worth noting that the population of the Famagusta district approaches 55,000 people, of whom around 60% are employed in the hotel sector and related tourism professions. Therefore, if booking cancellations continue, the negative consequences will be widespread, since not only hotels will be affected but also other businesses that depend on tourism.
Information from the local hotel association indicates that, for now, there is no intention or decision by hotel owners in the area to postpone the reopening of their units. Based on current data, the majority of hotels in the tourist resorts of the Famagusta district are expected to reopen either at the end of March or at the beginning of April.
The problem, however, lies in the fact that a number of hotels will reopen with much lower occupancy rates and therefore, inevitably, with reduced staff.
The president of the Famagusta Hoteliers Association, Panayiotis Constantinou, told Politis yesterday that PASYXE is trying to convince the state to extend unemployment benefits for hotel employees, specifically for those who will not be able to return to work immediately, until the end of April.
“Our hotels will need the support of the state because they will reopen with lower occupancy levels than originally expected before the war in the Middle East broke out. Most units will inevitably start the new season with reduced staff. That is why we are requesting the extension of unemployment benefits until April for those who will not be employed immediately. If this becomes possible, it will be an important boost for hoteliers so that they can cope with this difficult period we are going through, with reservation cancellations and reduced occupancy,” Mr Constantinou said.
At the same time, he expressed optimism that by the summer months the situation will return to normal.