Cyprus hotels intend to maintain quality despite decline in bookings

Despite the decline in bookings caused by the ongoing crisis in the Middle East, hotels in Cyprus should not lower the quality of their services, said the president of the Pancyprian Association of Hotel Managers (PASYDIXE), Dr. Christos Angelides, in an interview with the Cyprus News Agency (CNA). This is reported by Reporter. He also noted a positive shift: the wave of cancellations has stopped, and the flow of bookings has improved.

Bookings are recovering, but slowly for now

According to Angelides, the wave of cancellations the sector had been experiencing over the past two to three months has ended, and the flow of bookings has improved — both for the immediate future and gradually for the rest of the season. «However, bookings are still not at a level that would cover all the cancellations and lead to a good tourist year,» he said, estimating the average loss of bookings for the remainder of the season at around 20%.

Occupancy, he said, has been hit hardest in March, April and May. These estimates are consistent with the official arrival statistics: from January to May, the flow fell by 13.3%, although in May the decline slowed to 4.9%.

Why hotels are betting on domestic tourism

Hoteliers are trying to turn the situation around through more competitive prices and advertising, including in the domestic market — targeting Cypriots who have not yet decided whether to go on holiday abroad. Angelides reminded that foreign destinations once considered cheaper have become more expensive: both airfares and accommodation have gone up. «Destinations that were considered cheaper than us are no longer so,» he said, urging compatriots to watch for offers on Cypriot hotels’ websites and in the media. At the same time, the ability to cut prices is limited by high operating costs, above all energy costs.

The Israeli market and airfares are gradually reviving

The association head separately noted the recovery of tourist flow from Israel, which had almost fallen to zero for two to three months. «Recently we have been seeing daily improvement in flights and tourism from Israel, and we hope to return to the previous excellent figures,» he said, adding that even short two- to three-day trips would help. Rising jet fuel prices have forced several airlines to cancel and reschedule flights; Angelides expressed hope that if the Iranian-American peace plan is implemented, fuel prices will return to pre-war levels, airfares will fall, and autumn and winter will prove more successful.

How the sector plans to protect its reputation

Angelides said the top priority is preserving quality. «At this point, one thing is not up for discussion: under no circumstances should the quality of services provided be compromised — neither in hotels nor outside them,» he stressed. According to him, the sector faces two tasks: to offset the occupancy losses of the spring months and not to destroy Cyprus’ reputation as a high-quality and pleasant destination built over the years.

Along with the advertising campaign, which is proposed to run until the end of 2027, this, he hopes, will help «remove any veil of doubt over the safety of the destination called Cyprus». Hoteliers are trying to retain staff and teams, while in the short term they are also banking on last-minute bookings. «Tourism is not made only by hotels, but by all components of the country,» the PASYDIXE president concluded.