Pasyxe President: Hotel Bookings Show Gradual Improvement, but Still Below Expectations
Bookings Show Gradual Improvement, Hoteliers’ President Says
While Cyprus hoteliers are seeing a gradual pickup in bookings, bolstered by a recovering Israeli market and competitive pricing, overall numbers for May and June remain lower than projected. With the industry leaning heavily on a surge of last-minute bookings and localized discounts to close the gap, the focus is now on salvaging the peak months of July and August.
There has been a gradual improvement in hotel bookings in Cyprus, although levels remain below expectations for this time of year, President of the Cyprus Hotels Association (PASYXE) Thanos Michaelides told CNA.
"We are at lower levels than we should be for the month of May," he said, adding that a similar trend is expected in June.
"Compared with March, there has of course been an improvement in the pace of bookings, but we are still below where we should be," Michaelides noted.
Referring to bookings for July and August, he said that a gap began to emerge in March.
However, he added that "because there is also a significant volume of last-minute bookings, we remain hopeful that if bookings for July and August increase during June, we may see better results than those currently projected."
"The Israeli market is now beginning to pick up. We hope this momentum from Israel will continue. It is a market that reacts quickly and we hope to see an upward trend," he said.
As regards prices, the PASYXE President said they remain competitive.
"Prices are competitive. Given the situation, many hoteliers have also offered additional discounts to tour operators," he said.
"Naturally, we have also offered special rates to the domestic market in the hope of generating additional demand," he added.
Asked whether airfares affect tourist flows, Michaelides said that "because Cyprus is located relatively far east, airline tickets tend to be more expensive than those to other competing destinations."
In conclusion, he said that the main source markets for Cyprus tourism are the United Kingdom, Israel, Poland, Germany, the Scandinavian countries and other European markets.
