Cypriot travel is up over the Christmas and New Year holidays – as it was in the summer – and is expected to surpass 2019's record, with destinations that remain unchanged over time including Greece, Great Britain and other European countries, the President of the Association of Cyprus Travel Agents (ACTA) Haris Papacharalambous told KYPE.
In general, it seems that the number of Cypriot trips abroad in 2023 will surpass the previous record of 2019, which was around 1,3-1,4 million trips.
In response to a question, he said that no increased workload is expected these days, as we are in the last week of Christmas and most of the bookings are processed.
He noted that those who did not make a reservation until now, may have difficulty finding a seat on an airline to travel or even accommodation and if they do, they will be asked to pay prices that will be "really high".
He further explained that there are pre-arranged travel packages where the agent has purchased specific seats at a specific price and the price does not change.
He added that if someone wants to build their own package with different flights that serve them or include a destination where there are no pre-booked seats on flights, it is understandable that they will buy a seat on a flight "with whatever they can find in the bargain" and as therefore in these cases the price changes.
He also noted that the prices of travel do not show significant changes beyond the inflationary increase that occurs in all sectors, "hence the high number of Cypriots who travel".
He then explained that the increase in Cypriot travel was also fueled by the fact that compared to 2019 there are more destinations due to better connectivity in winter as well.
Asked about the main destinations chosen by Cypriot travelers during this period, he said that the destinations that remain unchanged over time concern traditional options such as Greece and Great Britain and, especially in winter, European capitals and cities.
He added that more distant trips such as the Far East are also chosen, but in a much smaller percentage.
"We are traditional in our preferences, without forgetting that preferences also depend on the available flights, because when someone is going on a trip for 4 days, destinations that have direct flights are clearly included in the selection box as a priority," he concluded.
Source: KYPE