Cyprus Tourism – The sky is the limit

Cyprus tourism, from all points of view, seems going in the wrong direction. Not a week goes by that I don’t read an article about how tourism is in a desperate state. There is always at least one crazy idea on how this crisis can be reversed. I say crazy because I’ve heard a lot of really dumb solutions to this supposed “problem”. Also, not many authority figures who are in a position to help fix the problem, such as the Cyprus Tourism Organization (CTO), come close to the real causes why many tourists leave our beautiful island feeling disappointed and disappointed. when they should have. and they can have the time of their lives here!

Cyprus government statistics show that tourism has actually reached a plateau rather than plummeting as many suggest. Until November this year, Cyprus is really up to date with last year’s numbers. In the short time that I have lived in Cyprus I have entertained myself with the following solutions to solve the “tourism problem”. One of the ways to improve tourism was to start with the renaming of the two airports of Larnaca and Paphos to Zeus and Aphrodite. The point of that would be what? To portray the image that tourists are arriving on a mythical and fantasy Greek island? According to a Cyprus Mail article dated 19 October 2004, Larnaca airport was voted “most disappointing” in a global survey of 25,000 British tourists, a position likely to not improve for at least five years when the airport is built. new international airport of the island. Hopefully the new airport will present a better image than the current airport because coming up with a slightly improved airport with a new name just won’t cut it.

Cyprus also definitely needs more diversity to attract tourists with varied interests, income levels and needs. Perhaps the quality of the tourists has declined and that’s why the locals are complaining. Many of the tourists we receive are looking for more bargains, so “5-star resorts” and high-priced restaurants are suffering. Cyprus is actually much more expensive than many tourists would expect and it is getting much more expensive year after year. If a tourist returns for a second vacation 3 years after the first one, they would be surprised how prices have increased. However, we can’t neglect the underspenders as we need everyone to come back again and again. Personally, I have never visited a place where the high and low income segments were not catered for.

A recent article on tourism that I read in Cyprus Weekly writes that flights are too expensive because we are so far from Europe and then at the end of the article he quotes the head of the CTO talking about the north and says: “It’s a new entrant and we have to find ways to prevent tourists from going to the occupied areas.” I think we need to put an alternative spin on it, which is how to find ways to bring tourists here, keep them here and keep them coming back and telling friends to visit.

Another recent article looks at the repossession of the Polis campsite from the Cyprus Tourism Organization because they surrendered. The Polis mayor obviously sees the CTO’s refusal to continue to run it and says it is a “negative move on the CTO’s part to leave this market.” I would personally nominate the Mayor of Polis to lead the CTO. He says of the Polis camp site: “We know how popular the site is and we couldn’t let it go after the CTO decided they no longer wanted to operate it…We planned to put proper roads and paths in place…improve toilets… making sure the roads and paths are fixed in such a way that people don’t get stuck in the mud and potholes.” He also plans to use the existing water to create a lake with fish and ducks.

The solution lies in making the changes and realizing that change is a necessary part of the present and the future. Adjust, keep adjusting and never stop because the competition will always change. So what changes do we have to make? What are we missing? I create surveys given to tourists upon arrival asking them some of the following questions: Why did you come here? Why did you choose Cyprus as your holiday destination? What is your income level and educational level? And then at the exit: How was your stay? What would make it better? Would you go back again? This type of survey will allow us to know our current market and accurately serve our potential market.

The inside out approach which is best described in a slogan that Zeneth Electronics Corporation has used for decades “Quality enters before the name continues.” Regarding tourism in Cyprus, we have to take care of all the things that make it a good place to live for the locals and it will help tourism. When the world hears that we have the highest rate of vehicle fatalities, that’s not going to help tourism. When you take a baby in a stroller for a walk and you run out of pavement, that’s a problem. Also, there are practically no handicap accessible places here. Wheelchair accessibility is a big problem here and Cyprus is missing out on that market because of it. You should keep in mind that all areas of Cyprus are potential tourist areas and every street should have a sidewalk.

The outside-in approach it is seeing Cyprus through the eyes of people who have never been to the island. What is the image in your mind before they arrive? Do you see Cyprus as a lovers paradise to escape to? What image do we want to install on and how do we get this image to stream effectively? A message is coming out, I have seen the commercials for Cyprus on television in the United States and the Middle East. I’m not sure how often they are being played in EU markets or if they are being played enough in the right places. It’s easy to spend money on bad publicity and not know it. A vacationer or any customer who believes they have been misled by a business or advertisement can never complain or say anything to anyone, they simply will never give you your business again and will not recommend it to any of their friends or family. We just have to make sure that we treat everyone as we would want to be treated if we were to go away from home to spend quality time with our loved ones, whether they are here with a lot of money to spend or not. People in charge of tourism and others in the industry must be held accountable for their actions.