Many Cypriots to spend Easter holidays abroad, figures show

A large number of Cypriots have chosen to spend Easter holidays abroad, the figures provided by Association of Cyprus Tourism Agents (ACTA) show.

Head of ACTA Haris Papacharalambous, told the Cyprus News Agency (CNA) that bookings for trips abroad are on average 4-5 days long. Head of Cyprus Hoteliers Association (PASYXE) Philokypros Roussounides told the Agency that reservations of Cypriots for holidays on the island are on average for 48 hours.

Papacharalambous noted that the preliminary figures show that Cypriots choose Greece as their number one destination for Easter while UK comes second in preferences. He also noted that Cypriots have already started making reservations for their summer vacations, in order to secure better prices.

Asked about the accommodation cost, he noted that agencies guarantee more stable prices which may be different for June, July and August, but do not change depending on when the reservation is made. Instead, these changes are more common on online platforms, according to Papacharalambous.

He said that based on figures it seems that the levels of Cypriots travelling abroad for summer will be the same as those of 2023, but a small increase cannot be ruled out.

PASYXE Head told the Cyprus News Agency that the number of reservations by Cypriots for Easter holidays on the island is relatively limited and the majority of these reservations are for 48 hours. Roussounides said that Cypriots prefer the countryside, mountainous and semi-mountainous areas, however coastal areas are also a preference because of the weather conditions.

Roussounides said that there is a decrease in the reservations for April compared to last year and it is expected that these figures will not dramatically change in May.

Replying to a question he said that Cypriots who wish a vacation in Cyprus may secure more favorable prices if they make their reservations by phone. He also said that there are options for all travelers, with the cost of an overnight stay starting from 40-50 euros per person.

Roussounides also said that 2024 will be a year during which the tourism industry will be put in test as preliminary figures show that bookings by visitors from abroad will be reduced compared to 2023.

PASYXE Head said that the geopolitical turmoil in the region is not conducive to traveling, noting that tourism is also affected by the economic recession and the energy crisis in central Europe.

He said that efforts are underway to cover the losses, but it will be difficult for the tourism industry to match last year's numbers. The goal, however, is to get as close as possible to the 2023, he noted.

ACTA Head told the Cyprus News Agency that foreign visitors’ travels to Cyprus are expected to be at slightly lower levels compared to 2023, mainly due to the limited available flights to the island.

Papacharalambous explained that the limited flights to Cyprus from countries whose residents choose our country as a holiday destination, is a consequence of the extraordinary situation in the Middle East, but also due to a lack of aircrafts in some airlines.

Replying to a question he said that the market from the UK is by far the largest, but there are emerging markets such as Poland, Romania, Italy, France and Germany.

He also said that in the coming years climate crisis will affect demand and countries that have not managed to become environmentally friendly will not be able to offer quality and quantity tourism.