HOTELS in Nicosia, Larnaca, Limassol and Paphos are preparing for Cyprus’ EU presidency with up to 40,000 guests expected over the next six months providing a welcome boost to the recession-hit hospitality industry.
Even though there is still a lot of uncertainty and confusion over the exact number of guests individual hotels will be called on to host, they say they are generally prepared to deal with the inflow.
Yet with just two weeks to go until the presidency stint starts, none of the hotels asked could provide specific figures on exact occupancy rates, with some expressing concern over the lack of detail.
The logistical arm of the EU presidency secretariat say over the next six months they are expecting up to 20,000 visitors for conferences and events directly organised by the EU, and another 20,000 for parallel events with loose links to the EU.
According to the secretariat, a set amount of rooms have been booked in hotels in Nicosia, Larnaca, Limassol and Paphos, so that delegates aren’t rushing at the last minute to find accommodation. But the problem for a hotel is that even if the secretariat has booked, for example, 30 rooms, this doesn’t mean they will all be used.
Apart from around 100 conferences that will be taking place in the capital’s revamped conference centre, another 80 will take place at top hotels in Larnaca, Limassol and Paphos with accommodation booked there and in cheaper places nearby.
Nicosia hotels in particular are expecting high occupancy rates over the next six months.
“Many hotels have made serious renovations to prepare for the presidency,” said the head of the Nicosia district’s hoteliers’ association (PASYXE), Christiana Iacovidou Constantinidou.
“Nicosia will generally be affected positively. There will be increased movement in the shops, cafes and restaurants, as well as the hotels,” she said.
The Cleopatra Hotel has already had its first presidency-related guests. “Everything went very well, so there shouldn’t be any problems,” said a spokesman.
Dora Papacostas, reservations manager at the capital’s Holiday Inn, said they were expecting a busy six months with rooms booked for specific dates, “but this doesn’t mean that they will all be used, which is why we can’t give exact numbers on how many have been booked”.
She added bookings were changing every day – with cancellations or additions.
But the uncertainty is a logistical headache. Just a fortnight before the presidency starts the Hilton Hotel also doesn’t know exact numbers of guests.
“We only have general information at the moment,” explained a spokeswoman. “We know the first group is coming in July but we don’t even know how many they are, or for how long they will stay. There is a lot of confusion at the moment.”
The other big winner will be Limassol with PASYXE director-general Zacharias Ioannides saying the presidency was expected to significantly boost tourist activity in the area.
“Limassol has traditionally been considered among the leaders in attracting conferences and meetings from abroad to Cyprus,” he said.
In Larnaca three hotels will host conferences over the six-month presidency, with movement expected to increase dramatically over the summer period.
“We are expecting intense inflow until at least November, though we don’t have exact numbers yet,” said the head of PASYXE in Larnaca, Ioanna Florentiadou.
“We are definitely expecting an increase in business.”
“There will definitely be an increase in tourist movement and movement in hotels during the presidency, though the number is small compared to the other districts,” said the head of Paphos PASYXE, Themis Philippides.
The luxury Aphrodite Hills hotel just outside Paphos is one of the big winners as it is hosting a number of EU-related conferences.
“Though we are not fully booked, there is definitely increased movement,” said a hotel spokesman.
Cyprus Mail
