Lefkos Phylactides, Acting Director General of the Cyprus Tourism Organization (CTO) has said that the environment of the tourism industry is as intensively competitive as ever and the continuous improvement and renewal of the whole spectrum of Cyprus’s tourist product is, respectively, an uncompromising necessity. He said that he is an avid supporter of the integrated, systemic approach and he will put all effort so that the foundation of this approach lies in their new national tourism strategy.

Since Cyprus, as an island destination, is inevitably highly dependent on air transport, CTO also determined to improve its accessibility and are focusing on the introduction of new flights from the target markets, the increase of flight frequency and the improvement of the relevant time schedules.

CTO also takes into consideration about the impact of seasonal variation in demand and are ready to implement additional, structured plans in order to specifically address the issue of seasonality and successfully extend the tourist season. Mr. Lefkos Phylactides said that Cyprus has all the potential to be gradually established as a top-performing destination for all four seasons.

Meanwhile, Travel and Tourism News stated that Cyprus is proving to be very popular with holiday home buyers from overseas as the Mediterranean island is increasingly being seen as a year-round holiday destination. This has led to growing interest in the Cypriot property market among lifestyle buyers, as many want their own permanent base in the country.

The news is a welcome boost to a tourism-dependent economy still battling to come out of recession in the face of the economic woes of its main northern European tourism markets. Foreign tourist numbers showed a strong increase of 15 per cent in March 2010 over the same month of 2009, Arrivals were 103,803 against 90,434 in March 2009, the report said. There was a 5.7 percent increase in arrivals from Britain, the island’s largest source of holidaymakers, and a 20.1 percent improvement from Germany
Nearly 20.1 per cent of the foreigners who visited the Mediterranean island were Germans, followed by British tourists with 5.7 per cent. There was a 5.7 percent increase in arrivals from Britain, the island’s largest source of holidaymakers, and a 20.1 percent improvement from Germany However, the central bank warns the recession in Europe has taken its toll on the Mediterranean holiday island whose economy contracted by 1.7 percent in 2009 and may register negative growth again this year.

Noel Josephides of Sunvil Travel and former chairman of the association of independent tour operators (AITO) told the Financial Mirror that Cyprus continues to be an expensive destination, so all this is left to do is to improve the product and promote it hard.

“This is a good time to clean up whatever is wrong in Cyprus and improve on the infrastructure, ” he added.

According to Matt Gross, of the New York Times, Northern Cyprus is attracting increasing numbers of tourists and there is a 35 per cent increase in bookings to the northern part of Cyprus. Northern Cyprus is also a “desirable” location for prospective property investors looking for a booming destination as it boasts many appealing factors, including a stable economy, a warm climate and great lifestyle facilities.

The reason Matt decided to visit the North Cyprus was to explore the ancient relics and ruins that the island is famous for but which remain lesser explored. He has also stated that he visited some of the best sites in the North and enjoyed the beach, the sunsets and the stars, and all in all, according to the New York Times website.

North Cyprus has a great deal to offer residents of all ages. Overseas buyers thinking of relocating their family to the island, retiring to North Cyprus is the best option. After all, in retirement expats want a good standard of living, quality healthcare and also a decent home to call their own which are all reasons why North Cyprus comes top for retirement abroad. The cost of living in North Cyprus is a fraction of what retirees are used to paying in the UK. Substantial public and private investment is being pouring into infrastructure improvements across North Cyprus. This bodes well not only for the value of real estate in Northern Cyprus but of course for the lives of all those who live in or retire to the island.

Tourism in the country has been reduced during the last 12 months as the recession continues to grip the UK. Cyprus has struggled to attract budget travelers who instead have opted for cheaper options. Cyprus has turned tables by taking advantage of the expensive resort image.

The Cyprus Tourism Organization (CTO) has shifted the fulcrum of its strategy to attract the higher end of the luxury holiday market as it is expected to be one of the “big growth areas” in global tourism in 2009. Traditionally, the country has been seen as an inexpensive option for holidays, but now it is planning to attract wealthy holidaymakers as well as families. The government has put a lot of new investment into restaurants and five star hotels with millions of Euros have been invested to accommodate the new clientele.

CTO has also invested lot of money in creating luxury holiday packages and sustainable tourism initiatives. Photis Lambrianides, the commercial director of Olympic Holidays has stated that sales will increase despite the slow start in 2009.

According to Travel weekly, Cyprus has long realized that attracting more affluent travelers, who place importance on quality of product rather than price, is key to bumping up numbers.

Phoebe Katsouri, director general of Cyrus Tourism Organization has said that they are looking to identify potential markets and clients who can help maintain current tourism levels, which could be good news for people with property in Cyprus. Ms Katsouri also stated that, to increase the Cyprus’s tourism levels, The CTO is making “huge efforts” to increase visitor numbers by collaborating with local authorities.

The Cyprus Tourism Organization (CTO) wanted to increase the amount of foreign arrivals in the country by ten per cent next year. So New promotional campaigns to showcase other aspects of the island apart from its more famous attributes, such as sun, sea and sand has been launched, reports the Financial Mirror.

The CTO said it would collaborate with airlines in order to help attract more visitors from areas such as the Middle East. An official from CTO said that initiatives in next year there will be more joint campaigns with airlines.

Cyprus is already a popular overseas property hotspot; the initiatives by the Government could broaden the appeal of the island and potentially open up new areas to tourists. If the visitor numbers go up significantly, this could be good news for the holiday industry and other groups who depend on it, including private property investors.

Cyprus has been deemed a “holiday hotspot for all seasons” by Aristo Developers and they have noted that the island is a favourite location for overseas property investors looking for a booming destination, reports online news resource Property Wire. International tourists think of Cyprus as a Mediterranean hotspot, popular for for sun, sea, sand and long stretches of beach. However, Cyprus also boast skiing for four months of the year between late December and early April. Cyprus is one of the few countries in the world where tourists can sunbathe on the beach in the morning then go skiing in the afternoon.

Cyprus was described as the island of all seasons by propertywire.com, which said it offers many tempting natural attributes including hot summers and mild winters, which has in turn created opportunities for overseas property buyers. There is a large ex-pat community that enjoys the Cyprus climate, in fact on many days they can sit leisurely in a t-shirt in the midday sun as temperatures can be up towards 20ºC.

This follows news from Assetz that property in Cyprus remains the hottest investment.

According to Love Cyprus, The Mediterranean country was described as the popular holiday destination for 12 months of the year, which has in turn created opportunities for overseas property buyers. Marios Christodoulou, spokesperson for the Love Cyprus, has stated that Cyprus provides visitors with a unique holiday experience.

Homes Overseas magazine said that Cyprus attracts a greater number of foreign leisure travelers, which has buoyed demand for property on the island and property prices are rising at a considerable rate. Figures reveal that in the last year alone, property values have gone up by nearly 20 per cent. Prospective investors look at making any purchase sooner rather than later before prices become inaccessible and early investors also would benefit from the high rate of capital appreciation.

The Financial Mirror cited government official data and reported that more than 307,000 foreign leisure travelers visited the Cyprus in June alone which is 8.8 per cent higher than the amount recorded same time last year. Figures also showed that Britons accounted for more than half of all incoming tourists.

According to the Telegraph, Cyprus is mostly good to visit at this time of year because of its Mediterranean climate, temperatures characteristically in the mid-20s. The publication stated that the pleasant temperatures in winter means sightseeing would be more enjoyable than in summer, as the heat is less stifling.

Panos Englezos, The chairman of the Cyprus Tourism Organization (CTO) speaking to the Cyprus Mail has said that he wanted to change the perception of the island as only being a good holiday spot during the summer months. He added that this year’s winter bookings are going well and the CTO is making efforts to increase visitor numbers in winter months by working together with local authorities.

The winter sunshine in Cyprus has also been highlighted by the Times, which recommended Paphos as a good place to visit. Travel writer Richard Green in Sunday times in response to the concerns from a holiday home owner has said that if people did want to fly to Cyprus in winter they should book with charter carriers’ as scheduled flights are more likely to be expensive.

Year-round good weather in Cyprus and Government’s initiatives to boost winter tourism has attracted holidaymakers in recent years, leading to a resultant surge of interest among overseas property investors.

Famagusta has traditionally been one of the more popular cities for foreign investors and had 95% of Cyprus’s tourism before the 1974 Turkish invasion. Property investment firm International Property Group (IPG) has stated that the region would see immediate price rises of 10% upon reunification. IPG director Gerraint Thomas has commented that if the talks between Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders are successful, the area will see excellent capital appreciation.

Recently some economist newspapers reported that more than any other city in Cyprus, property prices in Famagusta have increased substantially. The market does not succumb to political pressures and there are still high demands for resale and off-plan property. Property Experts expect prices to continue to increase as it is considered as stable and mature property market.

Foreign investors looking for a holiday homes to retire are recommended buying in Famagusta to take advantage of the low prices. The price in Famagusta is cheap compared with the southern part of the island and pricier areas of the Mediterranean such as Spain and Portugal.

This news comes after a recent study by Jet-to-Let magazine has revealed that nearly 40 per cent of prospective British buyers plan to invest on the Mediterranean island in the next year.

The tourism industry in Cyprus recorded an increase in the number of foreign arrivals last month. The Financial Mirror has cited government official data as more than 307,000 vacationers visited the Mediterranean island in June which is 8.8 per cent higher than the previous year as nearly 282,000 people arrived in June 2007. This makes it the highest year-on-year increase.

The Statistics revealed that the surge in visitor numbers was fuelled by holidaymakers from the UK. Brits accounted for more than half of all incoming tourists. More than 160,000 British tourists arrived in Cyprus in June which is 7.7 per cent more than in June 2007. The Cyprus Mail has highlighted the growing popularity of the country among the holidaymakers from various European countries such as Germany, Greece and the UK.

This is likely to be welcomed by owners of rental accommodation in Cyprus, as it means the island is continuing to appeal to new consumer bases and also this suggests that temporary lodgings are in high demand. Consequently, Cyprus could be a potentially lucrative market for overseas property investors to consider. The growing reputation of the country as a holiday destination is also found to have had a positive impact on the country’s economy. This has also made the country an attractive investment prospect for overseas property buyers.

UK newspaper the Telegraph recently reported that Cyprus is a year-round destination, which means that investors are likely to earn higher rental yields than in many other markets.