Tourism in Limassol is at such a level that it is not at risk from the challenges that exist this year, the president of Limassol Tourism Development and Promotion Company (ETAL) Mr. Tonis Antoniou told “Entrepreneurial Limassol”, estimating that in 2024 we will have the same results in Limassol as last year, but there will not be significant increases that Limassol could otherwise have.
Limassol survives despite the challenges and has no problem, emphasized the president of the Limassol Tourism Development and Promotion Company, adding, however, that as long as the wars in Ukraine and Israel continue, we have very few prospects for an increase in tourism. He indicated that Limassol attracts the smallest percentage of tourists (around 15 to 16%) in contrast to other provinces that attract 30%. He added, however, that the income is very important because the investments in hotels and infrastructure in Limassol are of high standards and the "Tourist Industry" can afford to choose quality tourism.
At the same time, as Mr. Antoniou pointed out, Limassol does not show seasonality, i.e. the hotels do not close at all during the year, with the result of having a steady stream of visitors, which those involved try to enrich with new markets. He pointed out that for 2 years special missions have been organized by ETAL with the hoteliers abroad and they all present Limassol together.
"We have already made two trips to London and we will make two more, face-to-face presentations together with tourism agents in various cities abroad", the president of ETAL told us.
He also mentioned Limassol's maritime tourism, the large cruise ships for which "Entrepreneurial Limassol" hosts an extensive report in the current edition. Mr. Tonis Antoniou also spoke about the Limassol Marathon (Limassol Tourism Development and Promotion Company and the Limassol Chamber of Commerce & Industry are co-organizers), for which this year the reservations from foreign runners amount to 3 thousand, which in the winter season, on the verge of opening the tourist season, is a very significant injection. He added that such mass events, with continuous and targeted effort, we will be able to have more.
He also pointed out the very close cooperation with the Commissioner of Mountain Areas for the development of the mountain resorts, of which Limassol has a large part. "There are huge investments in the mountains that we have to help so that we can promote them as an additional experience for the tourists that we advertise abroad," he added. The Mayor of Platres, Panagiotis Papadopoulos, (Chairman of the Troodos Network and member of the Troodos Tourism Development Company), spoke to "Entrepreneurial Limassol" about how tourism is developing in the mountains, who expressed confidence that Cypriots will flock during the summer months. which always support the mountains.
He added that during the weekends there is currently traffic from foreigners who live permanently in Cyprus, in addition to the Cypriots, but there was a significant loss for the mountain areas because the new markets that filled the gaps, "are not people who visit mountain areas". According to Mr. Panagiotis Papadopoulos, the "customers" of the Mountains were Israeli families who were looking for experiences, visiting the adventure parks, cycling and renting four-wheelers, leaving income in the area. The Russians and Ukrainians were also a source of income since either big groups, or privately, visited Kykkos or the religious monuments of Troodos, stayed some evenings, moved around the area and bought traditional products.
"Unfortunately the two wars affected Troodos and the mountain areas which lost the important foreign exchange that these visitors left in the area on weekdays" added Mr. Papadopoulos. The Mayor of Platres also referred to the ongoing large investments in the tourist product in the mountains of Limassol, which fell into a bad state in the past 20 years. He indicated that investors consider Troodos as a suitable place for investment, they have carried out their studies before investing and have found markets that will attract them. He also pointed out that the amount for the marketing of the Mountains by the businessmen, "who certainly expect to gain from the traffic and the investments in them", has also increased.
