Speaking at the presentation of the study on the institution of All inclusive, he said that in the tourist areas where a large number of hotel businesses operate with the institution of "All Inclusive" there are negative economic and social effects on similar services and the local community, such as centers leisure, excursions, "souvenir" shops, kiosks, "supermarkets", etc. "
The tourist, confined to his hotel, does not have the opportunity to tour and enjoy the cultural wealth, to experience the diversity of the country and the real hospitality of its inhabitants, elements that strengthen our country with a very important competitive advantage which will must be maintained, he added.
Ms. Dimitriadou said that meetings were held with all stakeholders in Paphos and it was decided to implement specific actions in cooperation with several hotel companies in Paphos that offer "All Inclusive" accommodation conditions and which pledged to support the whole effort.
The main actions are the program "Ambassador", the Authentic Corner in the hotel area, the creation of `Logo - Destination Pafos` which will be awarded to companies that will meet specific criteria, preparation of a map with the certified companies. What is required is a continuous evaluation of the results from the implementation of the above actions, while the commitment of all partners to help in this direction for the better operation of the All Inclusive institution is very important, with the expectation that the implementation of these actions will contribute in reducing the negative effects that are observed ", he noted.
The President of the Cyprus Association for Sustainable Tourism Filippos P. Drousiotis, in his own greeting, said that the recent developments in Cyprus make it clear that the importance of tourism for the Cypriot economy is even more vital today.
"It is now proven that tourists have become more demanding looking for holiday experiences, experiences that they will remember for a lifetime. When they are on the beautiful beaches and hotels of Cyprus, they want to be able to perceive it from the Cypriot food and drinks, from the hospitable Cypriots who will serve them, from the endemic plants that they will encounter on their excursions. "These and many more are the characteristics that CSTI is trying to highlight through the sustainability programs it implements in Cyprus", he added.
Through this innovative venture, he continued, we propose the development and implementation of new initiatives that will encourage greater tourism spending in the local economy, increase customer satisfaction with the holiday experience and repeat visits helping to ensure the long-term viability of Paphos as a tourist destination.
"The emphasis has been on 'All Inclusive' hotels, as they make up the majority of beds in Paphos. This project is a continuation of the research conducted by the Brighton Hospitality Research Group (BHRG), with the aim of identifying and taking possible initiatives to increase tourist spending in the Paphos District. The implementation of the project has been assigned to PwC Cyprus. A certain number of sub-destinations have been identified within the Province, based on the existing public transport network and the possibility of connecting them to the points of attraction of the Province. "Constructive workshops have been conducted with the active involvement of the participants", he added.
He also said that "ambassadors" have already been trained under the program by 10 hotel companies in the area that offer "All Inclusive" vacation packages.
The training included information on local products and experiences that one can experience in Paphos, as well as understanding the importance of the destination and the existence of a "common vision" that will benefit the Paphos community in the future.
In Paphos and in general throughout Cyprus there is a need to ensure that tourists know the destination and what it has to offer and support local businesses.
Cooperation between the various tourism actors is the key to achieving this goal. "Therefore, I call on all tourism operators to support this effort," he added.
The presentation of the program was made by the representatives of PWC George Ioannou and Panagiotis Moiras.
As mentioned, one of the most important findings of a survey conducted in 2012 by the Travel Foundation UK on increasing the contribution of hotel businesses to the local economy is related to the fact that tourists living in the province of Paphos spend less money. in activities / markets outside their hotel in relation to tourists staying in other areas of Cyprus.
It was also reported that in order to improve the above situation, the Cyprus Tourism Organization, the Cyprus Sustainable Tourism Association and the Travel Foundation UK, commissioned the Brighton Hospitality Brighton Hospitality Research Group (BHR) to further investigate the matter in order to identify incentives that could push tourists in Paphos province to spend more money and time outside the hotels where they are staying.
According to the main findings of the study that emerged, there is a lack of proper information among tourists regarding activities that can be involved outside the hotels where they stay and that local businesses that do not have something special and attractive to offer to tourists, it is difficult. to promote their products and services in the tourism market.
The conclusions and recommendations of the above study were implemented by the consulting company PWC. Through the implementation of the project, the local brand "Destination Pafos" was developed, which provides the opportunity for tourists to identify and locate businesses in Paphos that offer Cypriot products, experiences and local hospitality.
Businesses wishing to participate in this program must meet specific criteria developed for the purposes of this project. These companies will then be awarded the local brand "Destination Pafos" to post on the facades of their stores and on their website.
Source: KYPE