Hoteliers are planning conversions and renovations of their existing tourist accommodation to serve the increased demand observed in the last two years and which they expect to continue.
The resurgence of interest in Cyprus as a tourist destination, with arrivals breaking every record in the last two years, has mobilized hoteliers who are adding, expanding and renovating their hotel units to serve the growing demand.
The tendency of tourists to choose all inclusive packages has signaled changes in the existing tourist accommodation, to take advantage of this trend.
"The cost of all inclusive is much lower for tourists than in other hotels and if they do not find it in Cyprus they will find it in other destinations," said senior CTO official Marios Tsianakas.
He characteristically stated that "the hotels of Cyprus that offer all inclusive services, in the last two years have hosted about one million tourists".
The majority of hoteliers who proceed with a general facelift of their hotels, upgrading them to stars and enriching them with beds, are concentrated in the province of Famagusta and especially in Ayia Napa, he said.
Most hoteliers rushed to take advantage of the incentive given to them by the government of the gratuitous building rate of 20%.
Indicative of the prevailing scenario in the hotel industry are the data of the environment department with the applications submitted by some of the hoteliers and requesting an environmental report of the projects.
Applications indicate that the five-star Grecian Bay Hotel is being upgraded.
The Tsokkos group, which has a chain of large hotels in both Ayia Napa and Protaras, is transforming the tourist village of A.Tsokkos Paradise Ltd, into a 4 * hotel unit, with a capacity of 250 rooms and 500 beds, in Ayia Napa.
Electra Holiday Village is in the process of securing final approval to be converted into a 364-bed hotel and resort.
Additions are in progress to an existing tourist unit (tourist villas, shop and restaurant) and its conversion into a 3 * hotel, by Yiakipa Properties Ltd & Petreri Villas Ltd, in Ayia Napa.
The company APTsokkis Estes Limited, also submitted an application for the demolition of an existing development of organized apartments with shops and the construction of a 3 * hotel (Eleana hotel), in Ayia Napa.
According to the same data, the application process of Golden Reef Co Limited in Ayia Napa for the demolition of a theme park and additions to independent and change of use in restaurants of a new 3 * hotel (Seasons hotel) is in progress.
The Aglaia Alkiviadis apartment complex, in the Pernera area of the municipality of Paralimni, is also promoting a change of use in a hotel.
In the province of Paphos and more specifically in the community of Kissonerga, the company Theodosiou (Vilka) Sunset Ltd, proceeds with additional conversions in an existing hotel unit of the company.
In the context of agritourism, a house in old Kakopetria is converted into a 1 * hotel unit which belongs to the company Padagor Trading Limited.
Source: StockWatch