Cyprus Mail 15 June 2020 - by Bejay Browne
Around 200 restaurants, bars and cafes have now reopened in Paphos, and no more are expected to open in the coming weeks, according to industry professionals.
Of the 750 or so restaurants, cafes, coffeeshops and bars in the district of Paphos, less than a third are now open, and even they are struggling, Fitos Thrasivoulou, president of the federation of restaurant/leisure owners told the Cyprus Mail on Monday.
“Most opened for the Kataklysoms celebrations where there was a three-day break and some people did visit from other cities, but now it’s back to just the locals last weekend and the same will probably for next weekend,” he said. “No one knows when or if the season will start.”
Businesses are now reliant on domestic tourism but people just don’t have cash to spend on things like eating and drinking which means that turnover is low, he said.
Mounting pressure to pay bills means that leisure and social activities are increasingly impossible for some.
Although airports are open no one knows whether planes will be full or empty, he said.
“Having flights is one thing, but whether people will travel to Cyprus is another.”
He noted that opinions on traveling for leisure at the moment vary and he believes that only a few people would risk travelling to a foreign country, perhaps catch coronavirus and end up in a ‘quarantine hotel’ as Cyprus is proposing.
“Personally, I wouldn’t go at the moment,” he said.
