The island of Cyprus has many comparative advantages compared to other tourist destinations, Director General of the Cyprus Tourism Organisation (CTO) Marios Hannides has said.

Hannides was speaking at a press conference for the TAXIDI exhibition which is organized every year by the Association of Cyprus Travel Agents (ACTA).

The CTO Director General also pointed out that Cyprus is not just an island of `sun and sea` but also a tourist destination that offers a series of alternative forms of tourism such as medical, religious and sports tourism.

President of the Association of Cyprus Travel Agents Victor Mantovani referred to the TAXIDI tourist fair, which opens its gates on Friday and will last until Sunday. The exhibition will be opened by Minister of Tourism, Energy, Industry and Commerce, Giorgos Lakkotrypis.

Mantovanis said that the exhibition constitutes the ideal forum where the Cypriot traveller can obtain valuable and comprehensive information on tourist destinations and travel packages.

He also pointed out that this year the prices for holidays in Cyprus and abroad will be reduced compared to previous years.

Despite the dire economic circumstances, Cypriots remain ardent fans of travelling and vacationing abroad, he said, adding that available travel data indicate that this trend remains strong, since during the first three months of 2014 there was an increase of 10% as regards trips abroad. He also said that more Cypriots travelled abroad this Easter compared to last year.

Asked about the job market in the tourist industry, the CTO Director General said that the number of EU nationals working in this area is much higher than the number of Cypriots, thus leading to increased unemployment rates among Cypriots.

He added that actions should be taken so that as many Cypriots as possible find a job in the tourist market.