in-cyprus 30 May 2020 -Bouli Hadjioannou
Ten of the 57 hotels in the Paphos district are expected to reopen in June, the president of the Paphos branch of the Cyprus Hotel Association Thanos Michaelides told CNA on Saturday.
He said the majority of the 10 will resume operations around June 20 — the day when passengers from Group A of countries can enter Cyprus without a coronavirus test.
A few will open on June 5, in time for the long weekend of June 6-8.
The remaining hoteliers are waiting to see whether they will open in July depending on tourism developments, he said.
Michaelides welcomed the decision of Wizz Air to set up a base at Larnaca Airport from where flights will resume on July 1.
He also said the protocol unveiled by the deputy ministry of tourism with guidelines on the operation of the hotels was balanced.
“It is within the framework that we expected. It allows hotel employees and guests to be safe, but at the same time for guests to feel that they are at a hotel and not a hospital,” he said.
Hotels have started to prepare based on the protocol which he said entailed additional costs that needed to to be absorbed by hoteliers.
“What we are waiting to see is the outcome regarding the Labour Ministry’s programme to support the tourism industry,” he said.
Paphos hoteliers are focusing on promotion so that tour operators will start sending tourists from abroad though he does not anticipate significant numbers before July.
It was important that the tourist industry rises to the challenge of the increased demands so that tourists not only enjoy a pleasant holiday but do so in an environment that protects their safety and health.
Cyprus Airports’ open on June 9 but visitors from both group A and group B require a coronavirus test. From June 20, flights from the group A countries do not require a test. These countries are Malta, Greece, Bulgaria, Norway, Austria, Finland, Slovakia, Hungary, Israel, Denmark, Germany, Slovenia, and Lithuania.
Group B countries are: Switzerland, Czech Republic, Poland, Romania, Croatia and Estonia
