The European Commission (EC) recently approved a EUR8 million Cypriot scheme to support tour operators affected by the coronavirus outbreak.

The Cyprus Ministry of Tourism announced that following a relevant international tender, in which consulting companies from Cyprus and abroad participated, the process of preparing the study for the sustainable tourism development of the wider area of Polis Chrysochous and Tillyria and for the establishment of its tourist identity has begun.

Steve Heapy, CEO, Jet2.com and Jet2holidays, commented, “We have taken time to study the global travel taskforce’s framework, and we are extremely disappointed at the lack of clarity and detail. After several weeks exploring how to restart international travel, with substantial assistance and input from the industry, the framework lacks any rigorous detail about how to get international travel going again. In fact, the framework is virtually the same as six months ago.”

The eagerly awaited, new Lefkara Multi-functional Conference Centre has officially opened, bringing a modern facility to the traditional mountain village - famous worldwide for its handmade embroidery and other unique handicrafts.

Issues affecting Larnaca’s tourism and business development were discussed in a meeting on April 06, between the minister of transport, communication and works, Yiannis Karousos, and the presidents of the Larnaka Tourism Board (LTB) and the Larnaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) - Dinos Lefkaritis and Stavros Stavrou respectively, along with the president of Voroklini Community Council, Neophytos Fakontis.

Photo Album - World Autism Day

On April 04, honouring World Autism Day, the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Labour, Welfare and Social Insurance and the Ministry of Finance in Cyprus were lit up blue.

On April 01, the government presented a grand project including over 300 actions to revitalise the mountain communities.

On the basis of the results of the Cyprus Passenger Survey carried out by the Statistical Service, revenue from tourism in January of this year reached EUR2,8 million.

Compared to EUR40,2 million in the corresponding month of the 2020, it recorded a decrease of 93 percent, as well as a decrease of 92,9 percent compared to January 2019 (EUR39,6 million).

Ryanair, on March 31 launched its biggest ever summer schedule in Cyprus, with 34 routes in total, including five new routes to Bari, Bologna, Corfu, Rhodes (operating from July) and Venice Treviso (operating from June), which will help boost Cyprus’s air traffic and tourism as vaccination programmes continue and Europe re-opens in time for the summer holiday season.

The Cyprus Shipping Chamber (CSC) noted with satisfaction the joint statement signed by the heads of five United Nation bodies, on March 25, which calls on all governments to prioritise seafarers in their national COVID-19 vaccination programmes, together with other essential workers, saying that their safe movement is essential to critical goods movement and travel on which the global economy depends for recovery.