The occupancy rates of the hotels in the Paphos district in October range around 70-75%, according to hoteliers’ President Thanos Michaelides, who added that 30,000 beds of a total of 80,000 would remain in operation in November.
Thanos Michaelides said that October constitutes the end of this year’s tourist season, noting that there are reservations until the end of the month since, as he explained, the United Kingdom, which is the main market of Paphos, has school holidays.
Additionally, he said that November is the first month of the winter period for the hotel industry and there are reservations during the first two weeks. However afterward reservations decrease even though prices are much lower than in the summer.
During this period, Mr. Michaelides said, most tourists come from Britain, Germany, and generally Europe as well as some tourists from Israel.
He also explained that even though arrivals are less during this time of the year, this does not mean a reduction of income since people who come now spend more.
On this, he added that one of the targets of the hotel industry is to improve the quality of tourists, which is being achieved gradually.
Finally, he referred to the increase of expenses mainly in the sector of energy, something that causes concern to the Paphos hoteliers, noting that 2023 will not be an easy year unless there are changes.