Limassol, this year, expects an increased number of arrivals and looks into extending the tourist season. Provided that several airlines have already started earlier their flights, which will continue after the end of the tourist season, creates the prospect for more arrivals both in March and in November. Apart from positive messages from the key markets, such as UK and Russia, increasing interest has risen both from the German market as well as from smaller markets, such as Switzerland, Scandinavian countries and Israel.
According to the Board Director of the Limassol Tourism Development & Promotion Company, Maria Stylianou Michaelidou, the strengthening of alternative markets is vital, due to the fact that the UK is exiting from the EU, while Russia's policies may change, and thus may have an effect on outbound tourism from the country.
"We must take care not to put all our eggs in one basket; beyond the Russian and the British market we should strengthen others in order to gain a better position against competing destinations", she claimed.
Berlin tourism fair resulted in optimism, as Cyprus this year expects 180,000 German tourists, compared to 124,000 last season.
As explained by Michaelidou, the German market is expected to help improve seasonality, as arrivals are not limited to the summer months, because Germans tend to go on holiday early on the year and also at the end of the year. These visitors, apart from the sun and the sea, look to experience their holiday by choosing various activities, such as cycling.
When asked what percentage is estimated to arrive in Limassol from the increased flow of visitors from Germany, Michaelidou said that the city, due to the limited number of beds available, attracts about 12% -13% of the total tourism: "We hope to have the available beds in order to exploit the prospect created from Germany and that the hotels will open their doors to the German market", she said, explaining that it is a market of around 55 million bookings a year. She added that there are growth opportunities, provided that flights and rooms will be available.
Hotels Ready to Accommodate Tourists
Other tourist operators in Limassol also seem positive. Due to adverse conditions in neighbouring competing destinations, the coastal cities of Cyprus and especially Limassol seems to be favoured and, unless unexpected developments in Cyprus or abroad, 2017 is expected to break the tourism record seen in 2016.
The Vice-President of Tourism at LCCI, Anthi Theocharous, said to the board members of LCCI that the current bookings create cautious optimism that this year may record a slight increase compared to last year.
According to Theocharous, there is positive evidence from the two key markets, UK and Russia, while Germany gives a new dynamic, after the repositioning of flights by Germania airline, with direct routes to and from Paphos "After the tourism fairs in Berlin, Moscow and St. Petersburg, completed on 31 March in which Limassol participates, we will have a clearer picture, as it will indicate whether we will remain at the same level or if we will have a slight increase '.
Additionally, hotels are ready for the start of the new season, having gone into renovations and other upgrades. Some to a greater degree or lesser extent, the hotels of the city, including the Grand Resort, the Amathus Beach Hotel and the St Raphael Resort, have been upgraded in order to welcome tourists for the forthcoming period.
Staff from the EU
One of the main problems facing the hotel industry is the lack of qualified personnel. This gap is expected to be filled with EU personnel.
As the Vice-President of Tourism told LCCI, despite increased demand for staff in the hotels, the interest by Cypriots is reduced: "One of the reasons is seasonality, which discourages Cypriots from seeking a job in the hotel industry".
Already several hotels have turned to other European countries, starting with Greece, for hiring personnel. Moreover, efforts are made by local associations and the trade unions, to address the problem, which is expected to intensify with the operation of large hotels, which will be completed in 2018.
The industry, however, continues to pursue the expansion of the tourist season, especially during the months of March and November, in order to further reduce the period during which the hotels are closed. Although the issue of seasonality seems to be more acute in other towns, as the Limassol has a large share of the business and other private visits, it never ceases to be a problem for Limassol’s tourism industry.
