The Cypriot Tourism sector marking a sound recovery
The tourism sector in Cyprus was marking a sound recovery following a dip during the global economic downturn and an increase in holidaymakers from Germany helped Cyprus tourist arrivals grow by 14.8 percent in March from a year earlier – the first rise in 15 months, according statistical data.
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.
Popularity: 16% [?]
