The occupancy rates in the hotels of Paphos province that are in operation are very low, not exceeding 20% at best, according to the president of the Paphos Hoteliers Association Thanos Michailidis. In statements to KYPE, Mr. Michailidis stated that 25% of the beds are currently available in the province of Paphos, noting that February will move to the same low levels, while hoteliers expect to see how the management of the pandemic will evolve.
The fullness, said Mr. Michailidis, is extremely low and all the hotels that are in operation now operate without profit.
However, he added, hoteliers who decided to stay open did so on the grounds that they did not want to spoil their relationship with travel agents, but also to maintain some normalcy in the industry.
It is positive, he said, that in England they have announced the lifting of various measures related to the pandemic and in particular travel, noting that Cyprus has announced that on March 1, 2022 it will lift some restrictions, which is characterized by a positive market restart side.
He also said that if we manage to manage the pandemic and reduce the cases, there is interest for the summer holidays from England, which is the main market of Paphos. As hoteliers, continued the President of PASYXE Paphos, they are in contact with major travel organizers who confirm the interest from the English market for holidays in the eastern Mediterranean and specifically in Cyprus.
He noted, however, that what worries them is the lack of manpower, which if not resolved can create problems tomorrow.
As Mr. Michailidis explained, when a travel agent sells a vacation package to their customers, they are responsible for what the tourist gets when he comes to Cyprus for his vacation. Therefore, he said, “if we can not fulfill our contractual obligations, which are related to what we promise is available in hotels, then tour operators will face problems.”
Mr. Michailidis referred to the problem of the workforce that occurred in September and October 2021 where hotels were unable to respond to their services due to lack of manpower. It is important, he said, to provide solutions immediately in finding a workforce not only to be properly staffed, but also to reassure the market that the hotels in Cyprus are ready to respond to the summer holidays of tourists.
The President of the Paphos Hoteliers Association also stated that the hotels must have the operating licenses and the urban planning licenses, adding that the hoteliers must also fulfill their obligations, if there are pending issues, but the Urban Planning must be able to process the applications quickly and to issue the appropriate permits.
Regarding the cost of electricity, Mr. Michailidis said that the hotels in Cyprus face the highest costs from other European countries and even from Greece, with the result that electricity becomes one of the most important costs that has a hotel. He added that the consumption of electricity can not be limited regardless of the occupancy of the hotel.
For 2021, he said it was a very difficult year. However, according to him, it was positive that during the previous year they attracted tourists of higher income class who spent more money both inside and outside the hotels. The contribution of the digital campaign that helped increase the recognition of Paphos District was great, he added.
The messages that we must send, said Mr. Michaelides, is that Cyprus is ready to meet the demand and give the level of services it promises, he concluded.
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