Thousands of new beds will be launched this year by hoteliers taking advantage of the momentum created by record numbers of arrivals of the last two years.
The authorities expect the largest increase in hotel beds in recent decades, as hoteliers are betting on the continuation of positive performance and the acquisition of as much as possible of the growing tourist pie.
A series of newly built hotels and a wide range of hotel units that underwent facelifts with modifications and additions will enrich the tourist product with another 19 thousand new beds in 2018.
The sharp increase in the supply of beds is impressive if we take into account the relatively small changes in the number of beds in recent years. For example, between 2016 and 2017 the number of beds increased by just 200 beds.
According to the senior official of CTO Marios Tsianakas, the available beds in 2018 will be around 103 from 84,5 thousand that was last year.
He said in detail that 8 thousand new beds will be added to existing hotels that have been licensed, another 3 thousand come from new hotels and another 8 thousand beds from hotel accommodation which will operate without having obtained a planning permission for the additions and modifications they have made to the accommodations.
Famagusta first
The two tourist resorts of the province of Famagusta, Protaras and Ayia Napa, maintain the lead again this year with a total of 45 thousand beds from 35 they had last year, as reported by Mr. Tsianakas.
Indicatively, he noted that this year five new hotels will operate in the two resorts.
There are three in Ayia Napa, the Nissi Blu Hotel with 600 beds, the Amethyst Hotel with 170 beds and the Eleana Hotel with 160 beds. And two hotels in Protaras, the Eva Hotel with 190 beds and the Blue Ivy Hotel with 260 beds.
Next are the hotels of Paphos to which will be added around 4 thousand new beds and from 28 thousand last year, a total of 32 thousand beds will be operational.
In the province of Paphos there will be three new hotels, the Louis Paphos Breeze which will have 400 beds, the Amade Hotel with 310 beds and the Golden Beach with 160 beds.
The beds in Limassol will range around 12,5 from 11 mm and in Larnaca around 7 mm from 6 mm which is today and a smaller number scattered in the countryside and other smaller tourist resorts.
In Limassol, the new Amara Hotel will open its gates in March with 200 beds and the Parklane Resort & Spa with 275 rooms, of which 52 are suites.
And in Larnaca the newly built Radisson Blu with 212 beds.
A smaller number of beds will operate in the countryside and at other smaller resorts, Mr Tsianakas said.
Source: StockWatch