“This was a good year for tourism but we expect that tourist arrivals in 2006 will reach 5%”, CTO Chairman, Fotis Fotiou said on Thursday, after his meeting with PASYXE, STEK and Cyprus Airways, Eurocypria and Helios.
After the end of the meeting, Mr. Fotiou expressed his satisfaction for the enforcement of all CTO targets, with tourist arrivals and revenues recording an increase of 8% and 3% (to £1 billion) respectively. Mr. Fotiou thanked the hoteliers, tour operators and air companies who contributed significantly to that increase. “I hope that we will cooperate in the same way in 2006 and we will end up with a better planning”, he said.
“Our target is to adopt the strategic plan for tourism, which will push tourist revenues and arrivals up. This is not a target to achieve from one day to another. It will be the result of a successful enforcement of a strategic, a different tactic in the offer of the product and an improvement of the quality levels”, Mr. Fotiou stated.
The CTO Chairman reiterated that the strategic plan is a national issue that concerns the CTO, the public and private sectors and the local authorities.
As regards to the CTO activities before the end of the year, Mr. Fotiou said that the findings on the social and economic impacts from the opening of a casino in Cyprus will be ready in 2005, while the incentives for the withdrawal or improvement of 10 thousand hotel rooms will also be ready by the end of the year.
As for the infrastructure projects for golf courts, Mr. Fotiou said the organization has already in its disposal seven investment plans, two in Limassol, Paphos and Larnaca and one in Ayia Napa. The government has also decided to support a private company that will undertake the construction of a Conference Centre in Limassol.
Mr. Fotiou also referred to the increased tourist arrivals from Germany in 2005 and the problems that may arise from the organization of the World Cup in the country in June 2006. “However, we expect that the impressive increase will continue in the next few years due to the perfect cooperation between the CTO and the German Tourism Organization and the campaigns, which are expected to attract more tourists.
After the end of the meeting, Mr. Fotiou expressed his satisfaction for the enforcement of all CTO targets, with tourist arrivals and revenues recording an increase of 8% and 3% (to £1 billion) respectively. Mr. Fotiou thanked the hoteliers, tour operators and air companies who contributed significantly to that increase. “I hope that we will cooperate in the same way in 2006 and we will end up with a better planning”, he said.
“Our target is to adopt the strategic plan for tourism, which will push tourist revenues and arrivals up. This is not a target to achieve from one day to another. It will be the result of a successful enforcement of a strategic, a different tactic in the offer of the product and an improvement of the quality levels”, Mr. Fotiou stated.
The CTO Chairman reiterated that the strategic plan is a national issue that concerns the CTO, the public and private sectors and the local authorities.
As regards to the CTO activities before the end of the year, Mr. Fotiou said that the findings on the social and economic impacts from the opening of a casino in Cyprus will be ready in 2005, while the incentives for the withdrawal or improvement of 10 thousand hotel rooms will also be ready by the end of the year.
As for the infrastructure projects for golf courts, Mr. Fotiou said the organization has already in its disposal seven investment plans, two in Limassol, Paphos and Larnaca and one in Ayia Napa. The government has also decided to support a private company that will undertake the construction of a Conference Centre in Limassol.
Mr. Fotiou also referred to the increased tourist arrivals from Germany in 2005 and the problems that may arise from the organization of the World Cup in the country in June 2006. “However, we expect that the impressive increase will continue in the next few years due to the perfect cooperation between the CTO and the German Tourism Organization and the campaigns, which are expected to attract more tourists.
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