The messages are very positive for the coming tourist season, as well as for passenger traffic, said the Minister of Transport, Communications and Works, Giannis Karousos, in his statements after the meeting of the Council of Ministers.
Mr. Karousos was answering a question about the indications that exist for the coming tourist season.
"We believe that 2022 starts with the best omens for passenger traffic and tourism," he said, noting that "the supply of seats for airlines reaches the levels of 2019. In fact, some airlines have increased the seats available for 2022 in relation to what they had in 2019 ", he added.
The Minister of Transport noted that "there are also plans to support the aviation industry, both the temporary plan that we have in force as the Ministry of Transport, and the plan that exists together with Hermes, as well as those of the Ministry of Tourism."
"And we have achieved that the destinations for 2021 were more than in 2019 and we see that in 2022, and everyone is waiting for the relevant announcements, there will be other destinations, and other airlines," he said.
As he said, in 2021 we had more destinations available for trips from Cyprus abroad, 158 compared to 150 in 2019, "and to expect that 2022 will be even better".
Mr. Karousos also stated that "important agreements have also been launched, both transnational and with airlines". He added that several airlines will increase the seats available in relation to what they offered in 2019.
Asked if we can reach the levels of 2019 in relation to tourism, the Minister of Transport noted that "we are starting with the best omens this effort for 2022".
Statistically, he said, "our country had one of the smallest reductions in direct air connectivity compared to other countries. The reduction was around 24%, based on Eurocontrol statistics ".
"We are quite optimistic that we will do quite well in 2022," he added, noting that "of course everything depends on various factors but the preparation has been done."
"The fact that we had prepared the Action Plan a long time ago and informed the travel agents will bring results, because we are sending a message of stability," he continued.
He said that "in the Action Plan which we have communicated to the airlines and all the air carriers there is a certain number of countries whose maximum categorization will be up to the Red Category, ie they will never go to the Gray Category, which is the EU countries. , some countries that are important for tourism and aviation and we consider that we are starting very well for 2022 ".