At about the same levels as in July, it is estimated that tourist traffic will fluctuate in August and is expected to close slightly better than in June, according to Deputy Minister of Tourism Savvas Perdios. He also said that the two main tourist markets from Russia and Britain have started to move, while Russia continues to rise.
Speaking on the sidelines of the inauguration of the MUSAN Underwater Museum in Ayia Napa on Saturday, Savvas Perdios said June was the first month that “a little light appeared at the end of the tunnel”. We closed, he said, at about 35% of 2019, with an upward trend seen for the coming months.
It is good to see this increase, but at the same time it needs a lot of attention, as, according to the Undersecretary, we still have a long way to go. “Let us not forget that our country remains in the category of deep red, something that makes it difficult for tourists to come, especially from the European Union,” he said.
On the plus side, he said, is the fact that Russia continues to rise. “He was the mainstay of this summer 's season from the start,” he said, noting that “the last few days have begun and the British are coming,” expressing hope that “we will not have any unpleasant things in the coming weeks to take us back.”
August, said Mr. Perdios, will move at about the same levels as July and we expect it to close slightly better than June.
He also said that it is difficult to make accurate forecasts in relation to 2019 and noted the ban on travel from Israel to Cyprus.
He also said that at the beginning of the summer “we had said that our goal this year is to do better than last year. I must say that by the end of June, our numbers, compared to the corresponding months last year, are already better and it seems that we are on a better trajectory than last year and it is very important to achieve this. “
If we succeed, he explained, “2022 will be the beginning of the recovery which, as we have said before, will take some more years, with full recovery until 2024.”
“If we do better this year than last year and next year the recovery starts normally, I think we can go back to the numbers we knew in 2019 by 2024,” said the Deputy Minister of Tourism.
Asked if safepass would be a negative element for tourists, the Undersecretary of Tourism said it “would be a burden for tourists” but expressed hope “it would not be something that would negatively affect the coming months”.
Regarding the charging of rapid tests, Savvas Perdios stated that the government's policy is uniform. “These tests have been offered for free for 18 months, he said, and it is normal, as in many other countries, for a day to come when they will have to be charged,” he said. He referred to the ceiling that has been included in the price, saying that the price is reasonable.
Asked if there were cancellations due to Safepass, the Deputy Minister of Tourism stated that “we will know about this issue in the coming days”.
Source: KYPE
