The State Department will continue its actions in the fall to promote the country
The arrivals of tourists in Cyprus in August and September are expected to be at the same levels as in July, while it is not excluded that they will be slightly higher, said to KYPE the Deputy Minister of Tourism Savvas Perdios, noting that in the coming months and 2022 new tourism markets are expected to come to the fore.
“It is expected that August and September will be around the same levels as in July and we hope a little better because the British are coming now. “Theoretically, if we do not have any other setbacks, the situation will probably be slightly better in August and September”, noted Mr. Perdios.
He stated that the Ministry of State will continue its actions in the autumn to promote the country and to extend the season, adding that the degree of implementation of these actions will depend on the epidemiological picture in Cyprus and abroad. “We hope that there will be no further setbacks and that at least our own epidemiological picture will be good so that we can take advantage of our good climate in the autumn,” he said.
Mr. Perdios stated that the goal to do better than last year does not change. “This year is a transitional year so that we can start the recovery of the sector next year. But it is too early to make estimates. “We are not even thinking at the moment what the goals will be for 2022”, he noted.
“We take it for granted that it will be the beginning of a recovery,” he said, adding that “it may take until 2024 to return to the 2019 numbers.”
It is noted that by the end of July, tourist arrivals amounted to about 30% of arrivals during the corresponding period of 2019. In July, arrivals corresponded to 55% of arrivals in July 2019, which, according to the Deputy Minister, under the circumstances satisfactory, given that arrivals from Britain began after the end of July and that Cyprus from the beginning of July was the only country in Europe that was in the red category. “It seems, then, that as things stand today, it is indeed a better year than last year,” said Savvas Perdios.
Pillar the Russian market – And new markets come to the fore
Mr. Perdios noted that arrivals from the Russian market for the first time exceeded arrivals from Britain. “Arrivals from Russia reach almost 30% and this year is the pillar of tourism,” he said.
He added that Britain does not currently exceed 10%, while this percentage is expected to increase.
Mr. Perdios noted with satisfaction that various markets in which we have invested in the last 18 months, such as Ukraine, Greece, Poland and Israel, have increased rates between 5-8% each.
“I am sure that in the coming months and in 2022 other markets will come to the fore. I am referring to France, which I believe has a good and important perspective for Cyprus, Germany and certainly the Scandinavian countries, which although they had a huge decline in 2020 and 2021, are nevertheless a market that has always supported Cyprus and we expect that in the winter and in 2022 it will be in our basic markets “, noted Savvas Perdios.
Concluding, the Deputy Minister of Tourism said that it is still a very difficult period for tourism and suggested that the increased flow of tourism would be even greater if Cyprus was not classified in the red category within the Summer.
source: KAPHIMERINI KYPROU
