Ministry of Tourism: There is the framework for planning the tourist season

Following the government's decisions to open the country from April 1st, there is the framework and stability that allows tourism businesses and tour operators and airlines to plan for next summer, said Deputy Tourism Minister Savvas Perdios.

In statements to KYPE regarding last night's meeting between the President of the Republic and PASYXE in the presence of the Ministers of Health, Financial Transport and Labor and the Deputy Minister of Tourism, Mr. Perdios stated that the message he sent was that after the opening from 1 April and for non-EU countries (and from 1 March for EU Member States), based on the ECDC categorization, there is now a basis for stability in the planning of the upcoming season.

"This means that the goal we set is that by April the destination will be ready to receive tourism based on the ECDC protocol," said Mr. Perdios, explaining that from April 1, key markets in Cyprus, such as Britain, will open. Israel, Russia and Ukraine, but also Lebanon, the Emirates, Bahrain and Qatar.

Noting that these countries are currently in the red category and therefore need a double negative test for Covid, the Deputy Minister of Tourism said that no tourist arrivals are expected today from these markets.

He stressed, however, that the main difference under the new categorization is that no quarantine will be required for arrivals from countries in the red, which was important so that air connectivity would not be disrupted.

"But we wanted to send the message to the markets by April that we would be open to make reservations for next summer," he said, adding that there was now the framework and stability to plan.

He said that during the consultations with travel organizers, it was reported to the State Department that Cyprus is the first country that timely and clearly informed about how it will function as a tourist destination.

Finally, Mr. Perdios said that the State Department will dedicate March to consultations with tour operators and airlines in cooperation with the Ministry of Transport and Hermes and the private sector will take its own action "to achieve the best we can for the upcoming tourist season ".