Reservations over the weekend were quite encouraging and for the next three days of Ash Wednesday they seem to be equally good, PASYXE Director Christos Angelides told CNA, while also highlighting the need to extend the tourist season.
Asked how the hotel industry performed over the past two weeks and how the three-day period of Clean Monday is expected to perform, Mr. Angelidis said that "the truth is that the reservations from the information we had were quite encouraging for the past three weeks."
Also, "the weather helped. It was a sunny day on both Saturday and Sunday. After the rains, there was also the festive spirit and the children's carnival parades in Nicosia, Paphos, Limassol, our compatriots took advantage of it for short getaways and thus high levels of overnight stays were recorded in all cities," he added.
For the next one, Mr. Angelidis continued, it seems to be just as good.
"Judging from the information we have, starting from Friday, Saturday and Sunday, several hotels will also provide organized menus for Clean Monday, so this is also a lure for customers to remain within the premises or gardens of the hotels, which will be convenient for them, so it is a pleasant juncture. Together with the rains we have had and will have, they make up a pleasant February, I would say," he noted.
When asked if they are generally happy with the traffic in hotels so far in 2026, Mr. Angelidis said that no one can be happy with the 25% and 30% bookings, "but it is what we say we need to build."
"We must remain open as a hotel industry, so that people inside and outside Cyprus get used to the fact that there are opportunities, there are spaces where parties can be held, conferences, external meetings, large events." So, he said, time and patience are needed.
"I think we are on the right track, flights to Cyprus have also increased from smaller countries such as Armenia, Romania, Bulgaria, Latvia, Poland, and there is also a steady flow from the United Kingdom and Israel, as well as we see a timid growth from Germany, which is also encouraging," he noted.
He also said that winter tourism or year-round tourism "must be a matter for all of us, it cannot be just the hotel units."
"Everything needs to stay open, the whole country needs to operate, including our restaurants, museums and events. If possible, we can gather more events during the winter period, that is, from November to April, to make this season more interesting, methodically and with love. I believe that Cyprus has a lot to give and that the hotel and tourism industry has a lot to offer the real economy of the country," he concluded.
Source: KYPE
