The Ministry of Tourism is on a reform trajectory. At the moment is the modernization of the legislation governing the leisure centers. The consultations are at their final point, while the state ministry estimates that it will be sent next month to the Legal Service for legal inspection.
In addition to the structural changes that will concern the licensing process and the categorizations of the leisure centers, the deputy minister's goal is to upgrade their quality. Savvas Perdios wants to put a block on the plastic chair, but also on the reckless use of the word "tavern". At the same time, from ten categories of leisure centers that exist today, they will be reduced to three, while now the take away stores will also fall under the legislation.
Today, restaurants and leisure centers are divided into ten categories depending on the nature of the services they offer to customers and are classified into Restaurants, Taverns, Cafes or Pizzerias, Beer or Bar, Music and Dance Centers, Discotheques, Snack Bars and Cabaret.
A catering and leisure center can fall into one or more of these categories. The centers of each category are divided into classes (A, B and C) depending on the nature of the building, the value and quality of construction, furniture, equipment and the level of amenities and services provided.
The Ministry of Tourism wants to simplify the permits into three categories: Those that offer fast service (cafes), comprehensive service (eg breweries and restaurants) and nightclubs.
According to the changes suggested by the Ministry of State, the operating license of the premises should be hung at the entrance of the store, while the recreation centers will be able to obtain a temporary operating license until they obtain the final permits from the Town Planning.
Also, an innovation introduced in the legislation is the inclusion of take away stores. While there are over 3,5 thousand such accommodations, they did not fall under this legislation until now.
The aim is also to upgrade the quality of this industry. The Ministry of Tourism wants to put a block on the plastic chair, but also to avoid the word tavern or traditional restaurant if the establishment in question does not have traditional food (Cypriot cuisine).
In addition, the State Department is awaiting the completion of the tender in order to award the tender to a company that will undertake to collect comments from the internet on the quality of the premises. Essentially, this company will collect customer reviews as they are recorded on platforms (eg trip advisor) and will monitor the degree of satisfaction of tourists from restaurants, hotels, theme parks and archeological sites in Cyprus.
The new service that will be "run" by the ministry, is estimated to be a weapon for improving the quality of service. Businesses need to know that the services they offer are not satisfactory. They need to know their strengths and weaknesses. In fact, the state ministry is considering giving incentives, rewarding such facilities.
Source: Liberal
