Cyprus tourism, from all points of view, It seems be going in the wrong direction. Hardly a week goes by that I don’t read an article about how tourism is in dire straits. There is always at least one crazy idea about 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 as to 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 actually 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 at 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 October 19, 2004, Larnaca airport was voted “most disappointing” in a worldwide poll of 25,000 British tourists, a position that is unlikely to improve for at least five years when the airport is built. new international airport on the island. Hopefully the new airport will present a better image than the current airport because coming to 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 tourists has decreased and that is why the locals complain. 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 year after year it is getting much more expensive. If a tourist comes back for a second vacation 3 years after the first one, he would be surprised how prices have increased. However, we cannot neglect those who spend less, 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 tourism article 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 quotes the head of the CTO talking about the north and says “It’s a new competitor and we have to find ways to prevent tourists from going to busy 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 get them to come back and tell friends to visit.
Another recent article looks at the repossession of the Polis campsite from the Cyprus Tourism Organization because they gave up. The mayor of Polis obviously sees the CTO’s refusal to continue running it and says it is a “negative move on the part of the CTO 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 didn’t want to operate it anymore… We plan to put proper roads and paths in place… improve toilets… make sure the roads and paths are arranged 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 need 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 on departure: How was your stay? What would make it better? Would you come 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 goes in before the name goes on”. 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 will help tourism. When the world hears that we have the highest rate of vehicle fatalities, that will not 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 virtually no handicapped accessible places here. Wheelchair accessibility is a big issue here and Cyprus is missing out on that market because of it. You should be aware that all areas of Cyprus are potential tourist areas and every street must 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 picture in your mind before they arrive? Do you see Cyprus as a paradise for lovers to escape to? What image do we want to install on and how do we make this image convey effectively? A message is getting out, I have seen the Cyprus commercials on television in the United States and the Middle East. I’m not sure how often they are breeding in the EU markets or if they are breeding 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 their business again and will not recommend you to any of their friends or family. We just have to make sure that we treat everyone the way we would like 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. Those in charge of tourism and others in the industry must be held accountable for their actions.
