No one in Cyprus can afford a second tourist year like last year, said Ayia Napa Mayor Christos Zannettou, adding that a protocol should be immediately planned for tourists dealing with the coronavirus, who arrive in Cyprus for holidays.
Speaking after a meeting with tour operators and their representatives bringing visitors to Cyprus from Russia, Britain, Central Europe, the Nordic countries and Israel, held at the “Museum of the Sea”, Christos Zannettou said that “various issues were discussed regarding the developments in the tourism industry and in general the effects we have to face in the tourism industry related to the coronavirus pandemic “.
Answering a relevant question, the Mayor said that “there is still no estimate regarding the tourist season of 2021” and noted that “everyone is worried” about the developments. “What is required, which must be traced quickly and immediately, is the protocol for dealing with tourists, on the issue of the coronavirus, who are interested in visiting Cyprus,” he said.
Asked whether there are guidelines from the Ministry of Health on the issue of tourist arrival in Cyprus, the Mayor replied that “what we expect is to formulate a protocol that determines how the vaccinated people can visit Cyprus, if that is, he will be forced to take a second test upon arrival at the airport and if he can freely visit our island, with the so-called Green Passport, as each country will determine. It should also be clarified how someone who has not been vaccinated can visit Cyprus, how he will be treated in case he takes a second test at the airport and is found positive, the issues of self-restraint and various other things related to the coronavirus pandemic “.
The Mayor of Ayia Napa expressed the view that “these issues should be evaluated by an action group, which in cooperation with the Ministry of Tourism and the competent Ministers, to decide on future plans and decisions for the tourism industry, to draw up a framework, the which will be known by those who deal with the specific sector, in order to make the appropriate moves for the promotion of Cyprus and to have proper planning in the issue of reservations “.
Asked whether the free province of Famagusta can survive another tourist year like last year without further state support, Mr. Zannettou expressed the assessment that “no one in Cyprus can endure another year as it was in 2020. No one will take into account, taking “The banking system does not suspend the payment of installments or interest and all companies are in doubt,” he said, noting that “unfortunately everything depends on the financial capacity of each one.”
For Ayia Napa, as a tourist destination, he said “a vaccination plan must be decided for those who will be active. If the tourism industry reactivates on March 1 or April 1, what will happen to the employees in the hotels and other businesses, to the employees of the Municipalities who work on the beaches and elsewhere and come in direct contact with the people, what will be the protection which we will provide and what protection we will offer to tourists, in order to prevent any contagion “.
After “congratulating the Government on the epidemiological situation we have today as a state” Christos Zannetou noted that “in order for the tourism industry to restart, there is still a long way to go and there are serious issues that need to be evaluated and decisions made immediately.” so that the right planning can be done by all those involved in the tourism industry “.
For his part, Christos Asprou, Vice President of the Association of Travel Agents of Cyprus, described as “very constructive the meeting attended by all tourism operators in the region, including tour operators in Cyprus and PASYXE Famagusta. Our estimate as travel agents is that 2021 will be a very difficult year, it will probably be worse than 2020, since so far there are no bookings due to the epidemiological situation in Europe, where most countries are in lockdown status ».
He predicts, he continued, “that the season will gradually begin to open after mid-June, however a recovery in tourism according to the forecasts of the World Tourism Organization is predicted around 2024. That is why we must all be prepared that the pandemic and this tragic situation in which we are, will continue for the next 2-3 years, so that we can recover and have the numbers we had in 2019, which was a good year for tourism in Cyprus.
He added that “we need flexible protocols that cover the entire spectrum of the tourism industry, hoteliers, travel agents and foreign tour operators to start planning their reservations based on the protocols that will exist in Cyprus. “Great British tour operators have rescheduled their schedule for April 15, but this schedule changes every two weeks.”
To a relevant question, Mr. Asprou answered that “as the Association of Travel Agents of Cyprus we believe that the support of the Government should continue, in terms of businesses and the tourism industry, whether they are hoteliers, travel agents or restaurants. We believe that the horizontal support provided to companies should be more specific and more targeted at companies that really suffer. “
To another question he answered that “based on the number of reservations we have in our hands, we predict that the hotels will be late to open. That is, instead of April 1, when most of the hotels were open, and despite the fact that the specific date will be Catholic Easter, due to the epidemiological situation in Europe, we do not anticipate having any tourist traffic, at least during the first 15 days of April. ” .
Besides, the President of PASYXE Famagusta Doros Takkas said that “the finding is that 2021 will be a difficult year and we hope it will be a little better than 2020, however this will largely depend on the moves and actions taken by the state , the protocols and everything related that is needed for any tourist activity. The hoteliers and the others involved in the tourism industry, have gone through and are going through very difficult times and unfortunately the future is uncertain “.
Answering a relevant question, Mr. Takkas said that “one of the big problems faced by many industries and especially hotels is that they have to pay installments to the Banks, but they can not pay. “This is the problem we are facing this year but also in the years to come and it is an important issue that concerns everyone.”
Philenews / ΚΥΠΕ
