Appeal to hire Cypriots in tourism sector

PRESIDENT Nicos Anastasiades yesterday asked hotel owners to hire the unemployed over the summer period in order to support Cypriots through a European Commission support funding schemes.

Cyprus Hotels Association PASYXE chief head Haris Loizides said they had already committed to doing so.

Loizides said that the proposal – which he said they would mull over with unions – related to EU support schemes. Although under EU rules, member states cannot discriminate against workers from other EU countries, the European Commission is trying to contain unemployment, especially among younger people and has asked member states to include younger people and vulnerable groups into the labour market.

“We are off on a good path and should be able to offer several jobs to our Cypriot compatriots,” Loizides said.

Some 46,000 people were registered unemployed at the end of January this year, and unemployment – now close to 15 per cent – is expected continue rising as austerity measures and restructuring of banks and the government takes place in the coming years as part of a Cyprus bailout.

Loizides added that during yesterday’s meeting they discussed how to avoid losses in tourism, given an ongoing banking and financial crisis that has caught much international attention.

Despite a good season so far, bookings have lately been stagnant, Loizides said, but did not elaborate.

PASYXE has been offering discounts to travel agents in order to encourage bookings, Loizides said.

“It is very important that we get this message through because some of our competitors are taking advantage of the situation and are trying to grab part of the share that may potentially be lost from Cyprus,” Loizides said.

“The most important thing right now is to assure the markets… that Cyprus is returning to normalcy; indeed it may be undergoing a banking crisis, but our tourist and hotel product remains as it ever was: one of the best products in the Mediterranean.”

Cyprus Mail

One response to “Appeal to hire Cypriots in tourism sector”

  1. penny kyriacou says:

    LOWER YOUR AIR FARES FIRST AND YOU WILL SEE A BIG DIFFERENCE

Leave a Reply