Cyprus Mail 8 June
Paphos Old Town during the day [Bejay Browne]
By Bejay Browne
Paphos old town has come back to life with a vengeance during the evenings but remains dead during the day, in the wake of lockdown restrictions being eased, according to local business owners.
Restaurants, cafes and bars in the old town are faring well, and in many cases full, especially at weekends. However, the same can’t be said for shops in the area, as the streets are all but deserted during the daytime. One business owner said sales were down by 90 per cent since last year.
“We were fully booked( for drinks) last Saturday night and had to turn people away and people were booking for this holiday weekend from Monday,” said Tatiana Gaydanskaya, owner of two businesses in the area, Boulevard Bistro wine bar on Kennedy Square and Honey Restaurant found at Ibrahim’s Khan.
Both have outside spaces, and the former is well-known for its garden.
Constant enquiries for booking at Boulevard have been a pleasant and unexpected surprise, with many residents eager to venture out in the evenings, she said. Customers are a real mix of residents of all nationalities and age groups.
“I wasn’t expecting it to be like this at all. A few people are still stressed about following social distancing, but most are very relaxed and happy to be out,” she said.
The venue is following all the necessary measures and, as is the case with other establishments, have been checked a number of times by the authorities.
The business woman said that people had missed socialising as they have all stayed at home for so many weeks.
“It has also surprised me that people have some reservations about going out for dinner, yet they are quite happy to go for a drink. We have even had to turn a lot of people away,” she said.
Other venues have also expressed their satisfaction with one bar owner saying: “We have never been so busy. The old town has gone crazy.”
By day it’s very different. For years, daytime trade in the old town has been faltering but since the lockdown was lifted the situation is worse.
“The streets are deserted, there is no-one. Trade was difficult before, but now the old town is completely dead,” a jewellery store owner said, wanting to remain unnamed.
Business is down by at least 90 per cent on last year and very few people are walking around the area, he said. Even though Paphos mall has been closed for weeks, this still hasn’t driven custom to the area, he noted.
“It’s made no difference to us. I have customers that specifically come to me because of the nature of my business, for special occasions in particular. But there is no passing trade.”
Another store owner pointed out that as expected, the vast majority of consumers seem to be waiting for the reopening of the mall and this will unfortunately create the same situation as before the lockdown, with much of the revenue going to department and chain stores.
Landlords are charging astronomical rents and some shops have laid empty for years as they can afford to let them stay unused unless they get the rent they demand, she said, adding that rents should be set at a certain price per square metre and that should be applicable to everyone.
“I’m hoping that when the flights resume, it will be busy in the daytime too,” she added.
“The mayor needs to get some business and marketing advisers on board and create a proper business plan for the area and stick to it, so that everyone knows where they are.”
The historic Ibrahim’s Khan, a beautifully restored former inn that is now home to many individual units occupied by artists and artisans, is also suffering as most businesses are reliant on the tourist trade. As airports have been closed and a flight ban in place, footfall has all but dried up.
“There are no passers-by and it is hard for businesses. I am fortunate as I have old students coming back and have two courses running but they are half the size due to social distancing measures,” mosaic artist and teacher Sharen Taylor said.
General trade in the Khan is down by about 95 per cent, she said, but she is optimistic for the future.
“I am not running a business as I was before, we are at half capacity but it’s better than nothing. I am not dependent on tourism as many others are so I am lucky and I can continue to be creative,” she said.
