Filenews 23 June 2021 - by Adamos Adamou
With the first half considered lost, the attention of all tourist operators now turns to July arrivals and then with hopes of improving the situation boosted by Russia's decision to allow unrestricted scheduled flights to Cyprus from the 28th of the month.
Initially the news announced by Transport Minister Giannis Karousos on Friday night was also interpreted as a decision to restart charter flights from Russia to Cyprus but the decision of the Russian authorities is still pending on the matter.
What Russia seems to have decided is the unrestricted resumption of scheduled/routed flights to Cyprus but also to a number of other countries such as the USA, Italy, Bulgaria, Jordan and Ireland. Giannis Karousos made it clear yesterday speaking to "F" that with regard to charter flights our country continues to await the decisions of the Russian Federation, but expressed optimism that the green light will also be given in this direction due to the significant improvement recorded by the epidemiological picture of Cyprus. He said, however, that restoring scheduled flights from Russia without restrictions would significantly increase scheduled flights. Today the scheduled flights from the Russian territory to Cyprus amount to 10 daily and there are estimates that with the decision that will enter into force from the 28th of the month, i.e. from next Monday this number will double. Such a development raises expectations of a significant increase in arrivals from Russia from the second half - even without charter flights. At the same time, however, it also seems to be causing a headache for the Cypriot authorities since, as we are informed from a health point of view, there are concerns about arrivals from Russia, mainly due to the low vaccination rate in the country.
Necessary support
Despite the rather positive developments from Russia, the scene for the tourism sector is also difficult and unpredictable for the second half because of the pandemic while the most important market for Cypriot tourism, that of the United Kingdom, is absent from the equation. As pasyxe president Paphos Thanos Michaelides told "F" without changing the data from the English market, the situation at least in his province is not expected to be reversed since Russian tourists usually prefer the area of free Famagusta for holidays. Mr Michaelides said that due to Kataklysmos there were increased occupancy but as explained cumulatively the effect of the two nights due to the three-day yield in June is minimal and the average in terms of the occupancy of the units in Paphos for June will not exceed 15%.
According to the president of PASYXE Paphos already the units have received many cancellations from the United Kingdom for both June and July confirming the thoughts of members of the Association to suspend their work. Everything, he added, will depend on the decisions of England and also on the Ministry of Labour, namely whether support will continue for July. "With 15% fullness and without the support of the Ministry of Labour it is impossible for hotel units to remain in operation," he explained, noting, however, that the messages from the ministry are positive.
He, however, recalling that for the time being the figures in terms of tourism performance are worse and not better than last year, he expressed the view that there should now be a plan to continue support for as long as necessary in order for entrepreneurs in the sector to be facilitated in the decisions they will take in the next period.
The English are waiting.
The scenario, meanwhile, of overturning the scene on travel from Britain and lifting the quarantine for those returning from orange countries, including Cyprus, continues to be fuelled without final decisions. Yesterday UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock reiterated that lifting the 10-day quarantine requirement for fully vaccinated travellers from orange list countries is "absolutely something" being considered by the Government, but when asked if the measure would have been implemented by August, he did not give a clear answer. "We'll get to (that decision) when it's safe, we want to get it right," he was limited to saying. However, the British minister's statements followed a Times report that the plan to replace quarantine with a daily test for fully vaccinated travellers will be announced tomorrow Thursday, along with the new assessment of the green list.
