Filenews 26 August 2022 - by Adamos Adamou
Expectations for the continuation of the tourist flow in the winter season are given by the planning of the airlines so far, which will not only be increased compared to last year, but in some cases exceeds that of 2019, when tourist arrivals and passenger traffic recorded record numbers.
Maria Kouroupi, senior Director of Aviation Development, Marketing & Communication of Hermes Airports, spoke yesterday on state radio about the planning of the companies for this winter season, i.e. from November this year to March 2023.
After clarifying that in relation to the summer there will be a reduction in seats, as is the case every winter, he added that this winter season it is expected that the available seats, based on the planning of the airlines, will be at the levels of 2019 or higher in some cases.
This, he explained, is due to the fact that some markets that have started flights to Cyprus will continue on an all-year basis and some other companies after two years of the pandemic want to continue to have flights.
Ms. Kouroupi added that the adequate air connectivity that will exist in the winter is not a random event, but is based on the actions taken in the previous period, even in the midst of the pandemic, by all tourism operators, saying that this is also reflected in the good passenger traffic so far. "It is no coincidence that, despite the loss of the Russian and Ukrainian market, we are currently around 85% in terms of passenger traffic in 2019. We are doing very well under the circumstances, because all tourism operators are working together very well", he noted.
He also said that in order to safeguard and develop the country's connectivity, the effort is continuous and is made based on a specific program and planning. In this context, he said that airports are never complacent, saying that currently "we have 50 airlines serving 95 destinations from 38 countries". There is a pluralistic program, he said, which allows us any variations and challenges that come to face them.
She did not hide that there are many challenges, both for 2023 and for the winter season, but, recording the companies' planning for the winter, she indirectly but clearly appealed to all partners in the industry to make use of it. With the hoteliers' associations and with the deputy ministry, we should carefully handle the planning of the winter so that from those countries with which there will be flights we can maximize the possibility of tourist arrivals, he said.
The Deputy Minister of Tourism
In addition, the publicity and promotion by the Deputy Ministry of Tourism, which is now taking place on an all-year basis, as well as a new tour that Savvas Perdios will soon begin abroad, will also contribute to the maximization of demand for the winter. The latter, also speaking on state radio on Monday, said that the goal of the tour is to give a final boost to winter tourism, adding that we now have many products to promote such as Christmas villages and other activities.
Among other things, for participations in exhibitions, Mr. Perdios will visit France, the UK, Belgium, Austria, Hungary, Israel and the Czech Republic in the near future. In turn, he did not hide the challenges for '23, but also his satisfaction with the results so far, as July reached 83% of the arrivals of 2019, saying that in general the countries of Europe were at 118% compared to 2019.
COMMENT
A timeless and difficult goal
The development of winter tourism is a timeless goal of the State. Key to this direction is the maintenance of satisfactory air connectivity during the winter season. The efforts of Hermes Airports and yesterday's announcements can only be seen positively. So is the institutionalization of Christmas Villages. However, they should also be exploited by all parties, in order to create demand for winter over time and to enable Cyprus to become a year-round destination. It is time for all stakeholders to discuss again the plan to suspend the operations of tourism businesses in the winter season, which does not help the efforts that are being made.
