The Cyprus Tourism Business Association (STEK) sent a letter to the Deputy Minister of Tourism and the Minister of Health, requesting that the implementation of the required sanitary measures be simplified with the implementation of a Unified Protocol for the operation of hotel accommodation.
In today's announcement, STEK considers as necessary the implementation of a Unified Protocol for the operation of hotel accommodation, explaining in its letter that the implementation of such a Protocol, which will include all issues related to the hotel industry (catering, swimming pools, , gyms, etc.), would facilitate the implementation of any necessary measures.
As STEK further explains in its letter, the hotel units will be able to implement the measures better, without creating confusion, as has happened in the recent past, and at the same time, the competent government officials will be able to carry out the relevant controls more simply.
"The creation of a protocol specifically for hotel units, is considered necessary both for reasons of understanding and implementation of the measures, but especially in terms of the specifics of their operation. For example, the guests of a gym in a hotel are mainly the residents themselves, in contrast to the gyms outside the hotels. "Similar differences exist for other services within hotels, such as those of catering, the use of the SPA, swimming pools, etc.", he states.
At the same time, he notes in his letter that "due to the uncertain situation prevailing internationally, the effort to attract tourists becomes particularly difficult this year", noting that "travel organizers ask and want to know the health measures taken in each country, so that accordingly to decide but also to inform their customers ".
As he adds, "updating them through a Single Protocol, which will cover all aspects of the operation of a hotel unit, will obviously be a strong proof that as a country we are taking all appropriate measures to deal with the spread of the virus."
Finally, STEK suggests that on the initiative of the Ministry of Tourism and the contribution of the two hotel associations, but also representatives of the epidemiological team of the Ministry of Health, a single Protocol for Industry be drawn up immediately and then sent to the Minister of Health for approval.