By Marinos Pavlikas *:
ESTIMATES FOR A NEW GROWTH IN 2018 FROM LOCAL BODIES
AGIA NAPA AND PROTARAS LOCATED orgasm DEVELOPMENT AS DEKADES NEW HOTEL UNITS COME BE ADDED THE NEXT YEAR, WHILE THE GAME OF TOURISM INDUSTRY ALREADY BAY AND "PROTARIS" MUNICIPALITY SAVIOR THE FIRST TWO HOTEL UNITS OF CONTRIBUTING TO THE "DEVOLUTION" OF TOURIST MOVEMENT WESTERN
According to information from "S", 15 new hotel units will be built in Ayia Napa, which in combination with the conversion of the tourist apartments of the center into hotels will enrich the offered product by 7 thousand beds.
This year's tourist season is at its zenith, with hoteliers saying they are satisfied and the government celebrating that tourism records are translating into a positive sign of 3,5% of GDP growth. At the same time, local authorities and CTOs are drawing up the plan for the future, recognizing the importance of serious investments in valuable infrastructure in the tourism sector.
The free province of Famagusta has every reason to claim the scepter for this year's record. The generous investments in tourism but also the rearrangements in the map of the destinations of the eastern Mediterranean, have turned the northeastern end of our country into an apple of Dispute for travel agents and visitors.
First in nights
Proof of this is the number of overnight stays, as according to CTO statistics, free Famagusta was last year in first place in terms of tourist overnight stays in hotels with 46,9% (6,7 million) with Paphos second and 33,7% (4,8 million). They are followed by Limassol with 10,9% (1,5 million), Larnaca with 6,54% (945 thousand), Nicosia with 1,7% (245 thousand) and the mountain resorts with 0,25% (37 mm).
According to the data of the CTO, in 2016 our country moved to a net occupancy rate of 72%, with Famagusta again holding the lead again with an impressive percentage of 96,7% compared to Paphos, where occupancy reached 69,7%, Limassol with 53,7%, Larnaca with 53,2%, Nicosia with 31% and the mountainous areas with 23,3%.
Let's go for a new record
Estimates for the next year are moving in the same climate, with tourism officials saying they are optimistic about a new record. According to the Director of the Famagusta Tourism Development and Promotion Company, Mr. Lakis Avraamidis, the arrivals of visitors to our country will exceed 3,5 million in 2018, with 1,5 million visiting free Famagusta. As Mr. Avraamidis stated in SIMERINI on Sunday, next year will bring, according to estimates, a spectacular increase in overnight stays by 1,5 million, a fact which will contribute to the construction of new and the expansion or renovation of existing hotels. units.
Dozens of investments in tourism
The increased flow of visitors does not seem to satisfy the businessmen in free Famagusta, since there are many new investments that are implemented or designed with the enrichment of the markets and the quality of the tourist current. Projects such as the marina of Ayia Napa, the golf courses in the area of Cape Greco and the marina of Paralimni are expected to contribute to the upgrading of the tourist product but also consequently to attract better quality forms of tourism.
Ayia Napa and Protaras are in orgasm of development as dozens of new hotel units are coming to be added in the coming years, while the "rookie" Municipality of Sotira has already entered the game of the tourism industry with its first two hotel units, which contribute to "decentralization" of tourist traffic further west.
According to information from "S", 15 new hotel units will be built in Ayia Napa, which in combination with the conversion of the tourist apartments of the center into hotels will enrich the offered product by 7 thousand beds. In the Municipality of Paralimni, about 10 hotel units are in the process of obtaining permits, expanding the number of beds in Protaras and the wider area of Paralimni by 2 thousand.
The Municipality of Sotira is dynamic in the game
The Municipality of Sotira could not be left out of the tourism investments, which, taking advantage of the three-kilometer-long coastal front of Agia Thekla and the neighboring large investment of 220 million euros of the Ayia Napa marina, enters the game of tourism dynamically.
Specifically, in the area of Agia Thekla, the first hotel unit of Sotira is under construction and the largest, according to the owners, investment in the hotel industry in the province of Famagusta, with an area of 21 thousand sq.m. This is the hotel "Sun City , Which resulted from the Giovani Group 's partnership with Chinese interests Jimchang Global, with 235 rooms, luxury villas and apartments. At the same time, a second four-star hotel unit in the area is in the process of being licensed.
According to what the Mayor Sotiras Georgios Takkas stated in "S", the Municipality of Sotiras utilizes the lively interest of the investors for the previously "virgin" area of Agia Thekla by proceeding with the planning of the regeneration of the entire coastal front. The design will include a bridge that will connect the beach of Agia Thekla with the island located a few tens of meters opposite, breakwaters, sidewalks, bike path, playground, and a restaurant in the sea!
The goal, as Mr. Takkas stated, is to mature the project so that the Municipality is able to claim funds from national and European resources. He pointed out, at the same time, that despite the fact that the whole area is committed to Natura 2000 status, the municipal authority will impose all the necessary arrangements, so that every project carried out in the area on the one hand is implemented with respect for the environment and on the other attracting quality tourism.
Seasonality and All Inclusive are the main problems
The biggest bet that the province of Famagusta is called to win is to address the main problems, which affect the rest of the tourism sector besides the hotels. Seasonality and All Inclusive are the two biggest headaches for the food sector but also for the employees themselves. Nevertheless, the large investments that have been made in the hotel units in recent years, are forcing the entrepreneurs to change their course regarding the operation period of their hotel units. On the other hand, the hundreds of new investments in the food and entertainment sector create more attractive and competitive options for the tourist.
Admittedly, the province of Famagusta, as well as our country in general, has been late in devoting the required importance to the tourist. The temporary investments and the lower quality options offered caused a stir in the tourism industry even for the traditional markets. The goal of entrepreneurs, the CTO and the local authorities should be the preparation of strategic goals to attract better quality and more timeless tourism in our country by utilizing the comparative advantages, in addition to the sun, the sea and the frantic fun.
SIMERINI newspaper of Sunday (27/8/2017)