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Next 4,500 Finnish tourists in Cyprus this summer HOME • INSIDER • CYPRUS • 4,500 Finnish tourists in Cyprus this summer
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The airline Finnair estimates that it will bring 4,500 Finnish tourists to Cyprus this summer, on the occasion of the launch of direct flights between Larnaca and Helsinki. This was stated by the company's CEO, Timo Kousa, during a press conference held on Monday at the home of the Finnish Ambassador in Nicosia.
In his greeting, the Minister of Transport, Communications and Works, Giannis Karousos said that “we are pleased to see the resumption of connectivity between Finland and Cyprus”, adding that this year we have five flights a week from Finland to Larnaca, two of which are by Finnair. This is a “very important moment for both countries, which we have been waiting for a long time”, he said, adding that the direct flight between Finland and Cyprus is “the result of coordinated actions of the competent bodies of Cyprus, especially the Ministry of Tourism”. In this way, the connectivity of Cyprus with abroad is restarted and improved, he pointed out.
READ ALSO: & nbsp; Perdios: Better ’22 than ’21 for Tourism
“In August this year, Cyprus will receive 758 flights a week,” said Mr. Karousos, adding that in 2020 and 2021 Cyprus was ranked 6th in Europe in terms of the low rate of reduction of direct connectivity. In 2021, he pointed out, 62 airlines included Cyprus in their destinations, connecting the island with 158 destinations in 40 countries. “Connectivity is fundamental for Cyprus,” he said, expressing confidence that Finnair's 2 weekly flights will increase. The Cypriots welcomed the announcement of these flights, he said. In addition, Mr. Karousos said that due to the war in Ukraine, Cyprus lost about 1.6 million passengers and that the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Tourism took the initiative to make up for these losses.
In his greeting, the Deputy Minister of Tourism, Savvas Perdios, said that Finland was an important source of visitors to our country before the loss of the Finnish market for Cyprus. He described Cyprus as “one of the most resilient tourist destinations in Europe”, because last year it attracted 50% of its arrivals in 2019, achieving a record compared to other Mediterranean countries, whose average rose to 45%, Europe. where the average was 37%, and the world, where the average was 27%. At the same time, Mr. Perdios expressed his satisfaction for the resumption of Larnaca-Helsinki flights. “We want to highlight the authenticity of Cyprus, to be experienced by Finnish tourists as well,” he added.
“Cyprus has improved a lot in recent years in terms of tourism. “We have done a lot of work in the last three years to differentiate the product that Cyprus has,” said the Deputy Minister of Tourism. In addition, he said that our country has great prospects for the development of sports tourism and that options have been added to gastronomy, hotels friendly to vegans, wine roads, nature trails, etc. “Cyprus must invest in winter facilities in its hotels”, he stressed, adding that soon the Ministry of Tourism through the EU Recovery Fund from the Pandemic will financially support Cypriot hotels in order to build facilities such as saunas, wellness centers, indoor and outdoor heated pools, steam baths, jacuzzi.
For his part, the Minister of Finance of Finland, Mika Lintilä in his greeting pointed out that the coronavirus and the Ukrainian pandemic are putting enormous pressure on the European tourism industry, adding that the uncertainty of the business environment has increased. “The launch of flights in an era of uncertainty indicates our confidence in the future,” he said, describing Finland-Cyprus direct flights as “necessary for both countries”, “for tourism and industry in general”. He also said that the Larnaca-Helsinki flight will facilitate tourism and at the same time encouraged Cypriots to visit Finland and get to know its nature and culture.
The Ambassador of Finland, Harri Mäki-Reinikka, noted that the two countries may be considered geographically distant, but with direct flights, they will come even closer. In addition, he said, relations between the two countries would be strengthened and entrepreneurship and trade would recover. “Cyprus is a beautiful island, an ideal and attractive destination for Finns who appreciate not only the sun and the sea, but also gastronomy, wine, nature, sports venues and friendly people. He also described Finland as an attractive tourist and cultural destination for Cypriots, especially during the warmer months of the year.
In his greeting, Finnair/Aurinkomatkat executive Timo Kousa said the pandemic was weakening and demand for travel was rising, so this was a good time for the two countries to get closer. “This summer we plan to bring 4,500 travelers to Cyprus”, stressed Mr. Kousa, wishing a cooperation that will last and be productive for both countries.
For his part, Michalis Nikolaou, Sales and Marketing Director of APG Cyprus, stated that “we will work to establish Finland as a popular destination for Cypriots”. Flights will be operated by Airbus 320-321 twice a week, every Tuesday and Sunday, he said, offering connectivity via Helsinki to 100 other destinations in Europe, the US and Asia.
Answering a journalistic question about the numbers of Finnish tourists in Cyprus, the Ambassador of Finland, referring to Demosthenes Severis, Honorary Consul General of Finland in Cyprus, said that in the 1980s and 1990s 25,000 Finnish tourists came to Cyprus, adding that he expects the number of Finnish tourists to return to pre-pandemic levels soon. At the same time, he noted that Finland's exports to Cyprus before the pandemic were higher than those made in Greece and mentioned some Finnish companies that also operate in Cyprus (KONE, Valio). & Nbsp;
Asked about the number of Cypriots expected to visit Finland, Mr. Mäki-Reinikka said that the more Cypriots visit Finland, the more Finns will visit Cyprus and added that he expects a large increase in the number of Cypriot tourists. Answering the same question, Mr. Karousos said that there are 40,000 passenger seats in departures and arrivals. An aircraft traveling to Cyprus, he added, has an average cargo of 70%, most of which are expected to be Finnish tourists. It is estimated that 20-25% will be Cypriot tourists, he concluded.
