According to Thanos Michaelides, President of the Cyprus Hotel Association, approximately 90% of hotels are currently operations, with very few expected to open by late April.

Regarding bookings for 2024, Michaelides stated that there's a slight decrease compared to the same period of last year. He added that unless there are significant changes, this year's occupancy rates will be lower than those of 2023. 

Specifically, he mentioned that occupancy rates have been lower from the beginning of the year until April. He noted that the biggest difference was seen in April, due to the fact that Easter for the Catholic Church was celebrated in March this year, while Orthodox Easter will be much later, in May. 

He mentioned that most bookings come from the United Kingdom, Central Europe, France, Germany and Poland. 

Michaelides pointed out that visitation from Israel has not started yet due to the recurring current issue. Israel used to constitute a significant market for Paphos, and Cyprus as a whole. 

Moreover, he commented on the UK's economy facing some difficulties, which somewhat negatively affects holiday demand. He emphasised the need to monitor monthly booking trends to asses the season's outcome. 

When asked about the month of May, Michaelides mentioned that occupancy rates are somewhat low, but last-minute bookings are still a thing. 

Regarding staff shortages, Michaelides admitted that there's improvement noticed in the speed of processing applications that are being submitted. He expressed hope that this encouraging notion will continue, and that difficulties in scouting for staff has become a global issue that we must also deal with. 

When queried on whether tourism as a whole has faced any upgrades, he stated that there haven't been any significant changes, attributing it to the two years following the pandemic of Covid-19 still being a challenging time for the industry. He noted that substantial investments beyond those of maintenance, haven't been made. 

He highlighted that costs have increased significantly, making renovations very expensive. Operational costs were particularly high last year, reducing industry profitability and investment margins. 

Responding to whether Cyprus serves all tourism interest groups, Michaelides positively affirmed, suggesting room for improvement and targeting more exploitation of specific tourism types, especially during the periods prior and after summer, from November to April. 

He concluded by mentioning that all regions of Cyprus offer viable options for family vacations, each providing its own advantage, like the free Famagusta region with its excellent beaches, and Paphos with its significant archaeological interest and fascinating inland areas.