By Vasos Vasou
Almost all tourist accommodations in the Famagusta area remain open this season, even as the end of October approaches. Not only are they still operating, but most are also recording strong occupancy levels for the time of year.
According to figures from the local branch of the Cyprus Hotels Association (PASYXE), last October was a good month in terms of tourist arrivals to the area, but this year’s performance has been even stronger.
President of the Famagusta Hoteliers Association, Panayiotis Constantinou, told Politis that more hotels than last year will stay open until mid-November, while some will even remain in operation until the end of next month. He explained that this year, certain UK tour operators have extended their Cyprus holiday programmes, while online and last-minute bookings have also contributed significantly to the increase in tourist traffic.
“The good connectivity through Larnaca Airport has helped boost last-minute and direct bookings, meaning reservations made without travel agents,” Constantinou noted.
Winter Coordination Meeting
In the meantime, a meeting was recently held on the initiative of the Paralimni-Deryneia Municipality, with the participation of hoteliers, leisure centre owners, and local businesspeople from Protaras. The aim was to coordinate the services that will be available in the area during the coming winter season. The municipality also provided information about upcoming cultural events and other activities planned in the region, as well as options available to winter visitors.
“Protaras certainly won’t be a ‘ghost town’ this winter, as it was often described in previous years,” Constantinou said.
One of the main issues discussed was the challenge many business owners face with staff costs, he said. “It is essential to have a special subsidy scheme for employees to provide real support to this effort also said, adding that businesses that remain open in winter should be allowed to employ only necessary staff, not the full summer workforce. “This is key to the success of the initiative, which needs persistence and support from the state”, Constantinou stressed.
It was also decided that a number of sunbeds will remain on the beaches during the winter months in areas where hotels will continue operating.