Filenews 15 July 2023 - by Dora Christodoulou
Enthusiasm prevails in the tourism industry in Paphos from the course of incoming tourism this summer season.
The occupancy of the units in the district has already exceeded 80% and now the target is 90%, which will bring Pafos very close to the record performance of the year 2019, which is now considered a benchmark for the tourism industry.
The President of Pafos Hoteliers, Euripides Loizides, said that since mid-June the flow of tourists and bookings have been evident and continuous, which creates optimism that July and August will record 2019 occupancy, according to estimates.
August, stressed the president of PASYXE Pafos, is expected to record even higher occupancy rates compared to the current month, while September already shows very positive standards based on reservations, although it is still early to say definitively where it will go.
As a general picture, Mr. Loizides stressed, 2023 for Pafos is clearly a better season than that of 2022, although it is difficult to reach the levels of 2019.
Regarding the origin of the tourist flow, the president of PASYXE Pafos said, Pafos relies this year primarily on the English market, with the Polish, Israeli and German markets recording a remarkable flow this year.
In this very positive context, he said, the hotel industry continues to face a staffing problem. Some permits have been granted, he noted, but until the completion of the procedures it may take up to two months to find staff. The situation will become even more pressing in August, estimated Euripides Loizides, since then many pupils and students who are currently employed in hotels are expected to go for their studies.
The euphoria of those involved in the tourist industry of the province is maximized especially this year by the dispersion of Pafos' clientele in foreign markets, thanks mainly to the significant increase in flights from Pafos airport to new destinations. As they point out, although Britain as expected maintains by far the lead in the arrival of tourists to Paphos, the UK is no longer the only way for tourism in the province.
The operators' efforts to open up to new markets have been fully successful, they clarify, highlighting the central role in this change played by Ryanair by using Pafos Airport as its base. The dozens of daily flights to countries that until recently were completely foreign to Pafos in terms of connectivity, they explain, have shaped a new scene over the last two years: Today, countries such as Poland, the Baltic states, Austria, but also large markets such as France and Italy have air connections with Pafos not just on a daily basis. but with many flights daily from their many cities.
