Recent developments in Israel have raised concerns for Cyprus' Deputy Ministry of Tourism, which is now liaising with other countries to mitigate potential impacts from Cyprus' second-largest tourist market. Deputy Tourism Minister Kostas Koumis voiced these concerns.

Interestingly, Israelis currently requesting to extend their stays are offsetting the number of cancellations from Israel, according to Akis Vavlitis, President of the Cyprus Association of Tourist Enterprises.

Today, these issues were discussed during a pre-scheduled meeting between CATE and President Nicos Christodoulides, with the Deputy Minister in attendance. After the meeting, Mr. Koumis emphasized the importance of continuous and transparent communication with tourism and hotel associations. The meeting covered a breadth of long-standing issues regarding the country's tourism sector, providing CATE with updates on all the measures taken by the Deputy Ministry since March 1st.

On the specific topics discussed, he mentioned they revolved around employment, noise pollution, the licensing framework for hotel businesses, and the evolving demands of the market, including self-catered accommodations. "We are committed to continued discussions and finding solutions to the chronic problems our country's tourism faces," Koumis stated.

Commenting on the Israel situation, Vavlitis said, "The silver lining is that we are nearing the end of the tourist season, but there will definitely be an impact on winter tourism." Responding to concerns about hotels closing earlier due to the Israel situation, he highlighted the growing demand from Israelis to extend their hotel stays, suggesting this would partially offset any losses.

When asked about new bookings from Israel, Mr. Vavlitis responded positively, indicating that while there are cancellations, the number of guests wanting to extend their stays is larger.

On other issues, Vavlitis mentioned two significant challenges faced by CATE: the first being the shortage of manpower, which affects service quality. "We've proposed solutions, including bringing in foreign staff from third countries. The President understands our concerns, and I believe we'll move forward swiftly," he concluded.