Filenews 30 April 2023 - by Dora Christodoulou
"Clouds" are gathering over the sky of Kato Paphos, at a time when the return of normality and record tourist arrivals recorded before the pandemic is considered a given to occur this summer. The reason for the "war atmosphere" that has been hanging in the tourist area in recent months is the renovation and upgrading of the infrastructure in the port and the wider area of the pier of Kato Pafos and mainly the time frame chosen for these projects.
Businessmen in the tourist area are shouting that the planning that was made from the beginning was completely wrong and that it is inconceivable to start projects of this scale in the heart of the tourist area at a time when the mass arrival of tourists has already begun. The municipal authority rejects these accusations and assures that everything will operate smoothly in Kato Paphos this summer, a fact which, however, the Association of Pafos Leisure Centre Owners (SIKAP) now considers unrealistic.
An even more serious parameter for the current situation in the heart of the Pafos tourist area is the apparent involvement of foreign tour operators in the whole issue. As revealed to "F" by the president of PASYXE Pafos, Thanos Michaelides, several visitors have already contacted the tour operators who booked their tourist packages for Paphos and have complained about what they faced coming to Cyprus, warning of compensation demands.
The beginning of the reactions was made from the port, where the massive scale of demolitions carried out since the beginning of February in the illegal additions of businesses caused intense concern in view of the Easter holidays and then extended to the entire coastal area with the start of major works to upgrade the area around the church of Panagia Theoskepasti. The Association of Leisure Centre Owners of Pafos complains that while traffic is already very high this year in Paphos, the Municipality has implemented such road regulations that in essence excluded hotels, restaurants and shops from visitors' access.
The president of the Association, Angelos Onisiforou, told "F" that the planning for the progress of the projects is completely wrong and the timetables are not adhered to, since the works continue, in his expression, at a snail's pace.
The central coastal avenue of Kato Paphos has been largely closed to traffic and essentially pedestrians, he pointed out, while business suppliers have nowhere to go to get close to businesses and transport their products, unable to serve them.
Tourists who move with rental vehicles during their stay here, need a compass to pass to the coastal area, find the recreation centres, the rest of the businesses, but also generally to see the place, he said.
The road from the Almyra Hotel to the port also presents a big problem, although after the strong reactions the downstream was opened, said the president of SIKAP. However, the coastal Poseidonos Avenue is still a huge construction site at a time when we have entered the tourist season for good, with visitors moving in the midst of heavy machinery, excavations, road construction works and all these works that cause both visual and noise pollution. He wondered if the officials do not see the problem that has arisen, the discomfort of professionals and tourists who find it difficult to get down to the pier and the port.
These complaints by tourism industry professionals were followed by an announcement by the Municipality of Pafos stressing that traffic is already being partially restored in the area through the opening of part of the road network depending on the progress of works at each point. However, a regulation that the Association of Owners of Leisure Centres of Pafos still considers fragmentary and unhelpful for the tourist flow to the area and especially for the image of Kato Pafos as a tourist destination of a higher level. It is not enough to pompously advertise that we are the European Capital of Smart Tourism for 2023, stressed Angelos Onisiforou. We must be able to support such an anointing in practice, which in the case of our tourist front is far from possible, he said.
Even more intense reactions are recorded in the land area of the port of Kato Pafos, where since January bulldozers entered and the illegalities that exist in the area began to be demolished, in order to upgrade the area. The progress of the projects, however, has raised alarm among businesses, since, as Angelos Onisiforou states, while everything was supposed to be ready on Clean Monday, the time frame was postponed to the Catholic Easter, then to our Easter and finally today no one can speak with certainty about when the works will be completed there.
Currently, dividing railings delineate the areas where tourists can move or sit in recreation centres and the areas where work continues. The works of these days concern the installation of the stamped paving in the land area of the port, which has reached about half the area covered by the pedestrian street from the Castle to the entrance of the port.
The president of the Pafos leisure centres said that especially for the coastal Poseidonos Avenue from the pier to the entrance of the port, there have been repeated representations to the officials of the construction site to be fully opened to traffic, since the works there are not of the width of the rest of the area. However, as the officials said, he clarified, the arrival of the new urban equipment that will be installed is expected and that is why the area is still closed.
The only positive thing about the whole affair is that even in the midst of construction sites, almost all businesses on the land of the port and the pier are now operating and even with satisfactory occupancy. Many tourists enjoy the good weather conditions on the seafront, relieving businessmen who previously feared that the image of a construction site would have a much greater impact on their work than is actually the case.
The small port in Kato Paphos has indeed collected many sins and it was time to put its house in order and make a serious upgrade, emphasizes the president of the Association. However, it is inconceivable that such planning has been made that such projects are starting or in full swing during the tourist season, instead of now completing these projects.
SIKAP, concludes Angelos Onisiforou, calls on those responsible to move here and now to avoid unpleasant situations and additional problems.
Complaints from tour operators and tourists
Paphos hoteliers recognize the usefulness and necessity of redevelopment projects in the tourist part of the city, but they would like their scheduling time frame to be different, clarifies the president of PASYXE Pafos, Thanos Michaelides, who also raises the very important aspect of possible claims for compensation from some tourists or tour operators.
Already, there are complaints from both tourists and tour operators about the situation, he reveals. Some tourists contacted the tour operators who brought them to Cyprus, complaining about what they found upon arrival. These organizers, he explained, contacted us anxiously, asking for information on how things would proceed, given that if their dissatisfied customers make claims under the customer and tour operator agreement, the latter will pass on any costs they are forced to pay as compensation to the hotels.
Thanos Michaelides asks the Pafos Municipality to ensure the fastest possible progress and completion of the works to avoid an escalation of these first reactions. The works should be done as quickly as possible and in hours and in a way that does not cause nuisance for the tenants of the hotel units.
Although all hotels and recreation centres in the tourist area are now in operation and with good occupancy for this period, he points out, it is a fact that it is not beautiful for the visitor of the city to see the picture he sees today when leaving his hotel or enjoying his food or drink in the recreation centre.
The problem is functional, Mr. Michaelides observes, but above all it is aesthetic. However we do it, he acknowledged, it's not nice for someone to go on vacation somewhere and run into construction sites.
The renovation works underway on the coastal front and the port, concluded Thanos Michaelides, are necessary to upgrade the destination and are well done. What has not been done well, however, is the time frame that has been drawn up for them.
Big traffic changes
The works for the redevelopment of the square and the streets around the church of Panagia Theoskepasti in the heart of the tourist area of Kato Paphos have brought significant traffic changes to a large area and are causing concern to professionals, as the peak of the tourist season is approaching.
As announced by the Pafos Municipality, until the end of May works will be carried out on Ledas (section), Alkminis and Artemis streets, which will remain closed to traffic.
It also stresses that safe access for pedestrians, affected residents and visitors to homes and businesses will be ensured throughout the execution of works. Poseidonos Avenue will be closed to traffic in the direction of Kato Paphos port, while it will be completely closed to buses.
The bulk of traffic will be served by Iasonos, Tefkrou, Clytemnestras, Pafias Aphrodite and Apostolou Pavlou Avenue, the Pafos Municipality clarifies. With the progress of the works and always on time, there will be a new detailed update with all the necessary information for the remaining phases of the project.
The Pafos Municipality requests the understanding of those affected for any inconvenience caused in the context of the construction of the project. An understanding which, however, has already begun to be tested as the summer increase in tourist traffic begins to thicken on the coastal front.
Reactions to the mayor and council
The methodology of promoting regeneration projects in the coastal part of the city is causing reactions within the Pafos Municipality as well. Two municipal groups in the City Council reacted strongly by calling several weeks ago for the issue to be brought back for discussion in plenary. These are the municipal groups of AKEL and EDEK.
The two municipal groups in separate announcements call out the municipal authority of Pafos for the fact that the works started without the appropriate information and discussion with the involved shopkeepers so as not to cause tension and confusion to those affected, but also to the visitors of the area.
They argue that the decision of the Pafos Municipal Council, taken during their plenary session on 30 May 2022, under the title "upgrading of urban equipment and infrastructure in the area surrounding the wider port basin", provided, inter alia, for the start of works for the restoration – beautification of the area in October 2022 and not at this time on the eve of the start of the tourist season.
