Cyprus should target India as its next major tourist market, the president of the Cyprus Tourism Enterprises Association (STEK) has told the President of the Republic, based on a study by a major international firm.
Akis Vavlitis said the recommendation stems from a structural vulnerability the crisis has exposed. “For years we have been stressing that it is wrong to rely on just one market and that ways must be found to diversify,” he said. Britain remains Cyprus’s largest tourist market by a considerable margin, with Israel in second place. The Russian market, which previously served as a counterbalance, has effectively been removed from the equation since the war in Ukraine.
“It is not an easy undertaking, as you need to find the product the Indian tourist wants and reach agreements,” Vavlitis told CNA, adding that Cyprus must find a way to avoid dependence on a single market.
Vavlitis’s comments came as Cyprus’s tourism industry expressed cautious optimism following the restoration of US and UK travel advisories to Level 1. He said bookings have already improved compared to a month ago, though he cautioned that nobody knows at this stage where the year will end up. The impact of the advisory changes is expected to become visible within two to three weeks, with July and August figures providing the real test.
Haris Papacharalambous, president of the Association of Cyprus Travel and Tourist Agents (ACTTA), said the upgrade had come at a cost. “Three months have already been lost,” he said. “Within those three months, I think the image of the country has, more or less, been restored.” He added that the decline in arrivals has been narrowing over time.
Vavlitis also listed the pressures bearing down on the hotel industry: rising energy and supply chain costs, wage increases granted without any request for deferral, and expected interest rate rises. “At the same time, rising inflation is weighing even more heavily on travellers’ pockets, while the reduction in flights is making it harder to attract larger numbers of tourists,” he said.
Papacharalambous reinforced that point. “It is not only a question of demand — it is also a question of available airline seats for Cyprus,” he said. “From the moment that airline seats are reduced for the summer, even by a small percentage compared to last year, it is difficult to expect an increase in arrivals.”
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