About 20 hotels are currently operating in the free province of Famagusta, while several owners of tourist accommodation have shown interest in opening, so that they are ready to accommodate tourists.
As stated by Doros Takkas, President of PASYXE Famagusta, "The free province of Famagusta started accepting a limited number of Russian tourists on April 4 and the only hotel activity that exists is from these Russians, who arrive by flight after first obtaining a special permit". "This special permit exists today and may not exist tomorrow," he added.
At the same time he expressed hope "To improve the situation with the coronavirus in Cyprus and to advance the vaccination program, so that charter flights can be released. "It is really admirable that some tourists dare to come to Cyprus in the middle of a lockdown and suffer from various restrictions, as they can not enjoy their vacation as they should.".
Answering a relevant question, Mr. Takkas said that "In recent days, other hotels have opened in the free province of Famagusta and there are about 20 in total. At the same time, some hotel owners have stated that they will operate in the near future, subject of course, that things will improve with the coronavirus pandemic." .
At the same time he expressed the appreciation that "Flights from the United Kingdom will start before the end of June. On the other hand, tourists from the Scandinavian countries have postponed the start date of their holidays 4-5 times, while Central Europe ranked Cyprus in the red category, which means that we are not an attractive destination and at the same time there is a very serious problem with the connectivity of Cyprus with abroad ".
We are waiting, he continued "The best, that is, improving the epidemiological situation and increasing the vaccination program. "Since Cyprus will not be able to be ranked in the green category by the countries of the European Union and other countries from which we attract tourists, we should not have demands and claims." he said and characterized "The exception to the rule is the fact that there are these few tourists from Russia, since Turkey is closed, Egypt has not opened yet and we are, in a way, their only choice."
Asked about the vaccination program, Mr. Takkas said that "Everyone hopes that the vaccination program will go ahead, which must work seven days a week so that as many of our compatriots as possible can get the vaccine. One of the constant demands of PAVXE is that the vaccinations of people who work or are employed in the tourism industry, regardless of age, from bus and taxi drivers, waiters in restaurants, hotel employees and generally everyone who comes in contact, should be done quickly. with tourists ".
He noted, however, that "Tourism is the only activity that is safe in Cyprus, since those who arrive on our island are either vaccinated or have a negative PCR and we believe that during this time we are not at risk. "But it would be good to proceed with the vaccination of the population, as is done in several European countries, such as Greece and in countries that are considered our competitors."
Regarding the negatives of the coronavirus and those who oppose the vaccination, Doros Takkas said that "Those in charge must immediately organize a campaign with personalities of international scope, who will be able to convince the people about the usefulness and correctness of the vaccinations. The government should also give privileges to those who are vaccinated, such as circulating without sending a text message and without conducting a rapid test, and those who want can get the vaccine while those who do not want to, are subject to the existing restrictions ".
Source: KYPE