F. Rousounidis: "The hotel units of Famagusta have also been selected by our compatriots in December"

The average occupancies of the month of December, the pre-eminent festive month, in hotel units and accommodation, are expected to move around 35% to 40%, while the occupancies during the festive three days, the one after Christmas and the one after the New Year will move around 55% to 60% and in individual cases possibly a little more, the General Director of PASYXE, Filokypros Rousounidis, told KYPE.

At the same time, he pointed out that Cyprus is an island that is suitable for year-round tourism and not just for summer tourism.

"We hope with a very restrained optimism and a positive attitude that we will be able to limit any losses, because there will definitely be losses from the large market of Israel for us and the first goal now going into the coming year is to get as close as possible to the numbers of this year", he underlined.

Asked about the occupancy rates of hotel units and accommodations, Mr. Rousounidis said that the average occupancy rates for the month of December, the most festive month on our island, are expected to be around 35% to 40%.

"Furthermore, it seems that occupancy during the festive three days, the one after Christmas and the one after New Year's Eve will move around 55% to 60% and in individual cases possibly a little higher. So what we can say is that occupancy rates were satisfactory only on the three days but quite low for the rest of the month," he noted.

When asked why this low occupancy is due, Mr. Rousounidis said that the tourist influx from abroad is definitely a reflection of last year.

"It is relatively low, I would say, and the festive three days are what favor short-day reservations by our compatriots, since many who stayed on the island and have not traveled abroad chose to spend these three days in hotels and tourist accommodations," he added.

Responding to a related question, Mr. Rousounidis said that "certainly the issue of extending the period - because for others it is still summer in Cyprus - is something that we see with all the authorities and with the Deputy Minister and also with the Minister of Labor himself and the President of the Republic, in an effort to build the foundations and create the conditions for a substantial tourist influx during the winter months as well".

"Cyprus is an island that is suitable for year-round tourism and not just for the so-called summer tourism. There is also mountainous Cyprus, where in recent years we have seen significant upgrades and investments in the hotels, infrastructure, squares, restaurants, and elsewhere, even in wineries, which certainly create a much better atmosphere and a further demand, something that we should take advantage of, along with of course the good weather conditions, the sun and the sea", he added.

He added that he hoped "that soon we will be able to start implementing a plan that we are already discussing, so that in the long run, based on a five-year period, we can talk about a year-round tourist destination for our island, and I think that we can achieve this if all the involved bodies, let's follow a specific plan".

Asked which city or cities were preferred the most, Mr. Rousounidis said that thanks to the weather conditions, which are very favorable and the atmosphere created, "our mountain resorts have their due. Beyond that, cities such as Paphos and Limassol, which are cities that do not close in the winter months, but the entire ecosystem exists there, are certainly first choices and secondly the few units that have remained open to the free area of ​​Famagusta", he said.

"It's just that most of the restaurants are closed there, and the whole ecosystem in general, which is definitely not conducive to vacations. But those units have also been selected by our compatriots, I would say," he added.

Answering another question, Mr. Rousounidis said that the year is ending on a positive note "despite the huge challenges we have faced in the last three years and culminating in 2023".

He added that "we hope with a very restrained optimism and a positive attitude that we will be able to limit any losses, because there will definitely be losses from the large market of Israel for us and the first goal now going into the coming year is to get as close as possible in this year's numbers", he concluded.

Source: KYPE