The messages for tourism in 2025 are positive, with a better flow of reservations than last year, according to the President of the Cyprus Hoteliers Association, Thanos Michaelides.
In statements to CNA, Mr. Michaelides said that looking at the flow of reservations for 2025, it appears that there is interest in booking earlier, compared to what existed during the same period in 2024.
In 2024, which is considered a good year, in the first half, he said, there was a sluggish flow of bookings from Cyprus' main markets. In the second half of the year, he continued, the small difference that existed in the first half was covered.
He also expressed his satisfaction that the flow of reservations is better in 2025. Therefore, he said, "if the first half of 2025 is better than the first half of 2024, we will in fact have a better tourist season for 2025," without, however, as he said, talking about spectacular reservations.
Asked about the tourist infrastructure in Cyprus, Mr. Michaelides said that most hotels in Cyprus were built in the 1980s and 1990s, so they are 30-40 year old hotels, but at a good level.
He added that with the various incentives recently provided by the Government, most hoteliers have significantly upgraded their hotels, offering quality in their infrastructure.
"So," he continued, "our product is a bit old, but it is at a very good level if we compare it to what exists in competing destinations. But we certainly need to see in the future how we can upgrade and update our tourism product," he added.
Hotels, by their very nature, he continued, "need major investments. So if we come to upgrade this tourism product, we need to think about some incentives, perhaps tax incentives," he said.
He also pointed out that it is no longer economically advantageous to make large investments in existing units that are of a certain age.
There is, he noted, also the issue of the energy efficiency of these buildings which, due to their age, cannot reach the efficiency of a brand new building. Therefore, it is a complex problem that must concern us, he concluded.
