Warm weather boosts Cyprus winter tourism prospects
Source: in-cyprus.com
Cyprus’s unseasonably high temperatures are proving instrumental in boosting winter tourism, with industry leaders expecting better performance compared to last year.
Thanos Michailides, president of the Cyprus Hotels Association (PASYXE), told state radio that many hotels were at full capacity in October and expect strong November bookings. “Year by year, November is evolving into a relatively good month compared to previous years,” Michailides said, adding that “we could bring November very close to summer season levels, if not in prices, at least in occupancy”.
The advantageous weather conditions have attracted visitors who might otherwise choose alternative destinations. “People are learning that Cyprus’s weather is much better than Greece’s, for example, and prefer Cyprus because we have guaranteed sunshine during this period”, Michailides said.
Ryanair has capitalised on this, recently promoting Cyprus as its third warmest destination after Spain and Malta across its social media channels. Hermes Airports noted this promotion through its Flight Mode newsletter, viewing it as recognition of Cyprus’s year-round tourism potential.
Deputy Tourism Minister Costas Koumis, speaking at the Cyprus Airways Flying Academy inauguration at Larnaca airport, confirmed positive winter tourism prospects despite some impact from the war in the Middle East. “We have gained some weeks this year, with the majority of our country’s tourist units remaining open at least until mid-November”, Koumis said, adding that he couldn’t recall so many establishments staying open during this period before.
Tourism performance for the year is expected to match or slightly exceed last year’s strong levels, helped by increased visitor numbers in the second half of the year. However, industry discussions continue regarding hotel staff collective agreements, with labour unions threatening industrial action as negotiations proceed.
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The original article: in-cyprus.com .
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