Cyprus Mail 22 August 2022 - by Antonis Loizou
There is an excellent weekly programme on Greek TV four times a week called We stay in Greece on the topic holidays in Greece. This series on a weekly basis visits various tourist destinations with excellent cinematography and interviews locals and tourists, Greeks and foreigners, with English subtitles.
Wouldn’t a similar programme for Cyprus be a good idea to help attract local tourists and foreigners and by extension promote real estate sales?
Each week, various tourist locations could be promoted, and even specific residential and non-residential development projects could be featured.
There is an interesting programme on Cyprus looking at various villages on CyBC, but it is not the same.
The programme could also include tourism-related projects, such as the various golf courses, marinas, restaurants, tavernas, bars and so on.
It is evident that even we Cypriots do not know what this country has to offer.
For example an amazing spa-wellness centre in a secluded village of Paphos is suddenly discovered by locals.
Hotels with chapels are a destination for weddings among many Cypriots as well as foreigners. Pissouri Resort is an example or the Anassa in Paphos.
In fact, demand is such that weddings are determined by the availability of the hotel chapel and not when it is suitable for the couple.
Local tourists are the best in the sense of higher consumption (spending power) as well as visiting places during the winter months.
Some quality hotels take advantage of the situation.
Some of our experiences show that we don’t get what we pay for.
We attended a wedding in Limassol, which cost 200 euros per person. We asked the foreign English-speaking waiter if there was any of a particular dish left. He said he didn’t know and we should go and look for ourselves.
On another occasion, at a seaside hotel, we ordered a bottle of Agios Andronikos wine, which costs €10 at a supermarket, and they charged us €56. Is this quality tourism or theft?
Cypriot taxis also give Cyprus a bad name with their overcharging, especially those who have a monopoly at airports. We were once given a quote of €25 when we made the reservation for a journey from Larnaca to Protaras, but the driver charged us €32 and told us he was doing us a favour.
Some decency is required from hoteliers and others in the hospitality business.
It takes only a few to do damage, but they are enough to ruin it for everyone.
Antonis Loizou & Associates EPE – Real Estate Valuers, Estate Agents & Property Consultants, www.aloizou.com.cy, info@aloizou.com.cy
