CEO, CYINS OF CREATIVITY, SUGGESTS WHAT NEEDS TO CHANGE IN PAPHOS’ – AND CYPRUS’ – TOURISM INDUSTRY.
TRAVEL TRADE CYPRUS: In late 2015, Cyins of Creativity, in collaboration with Pafos2017, held an interactive seminar focussing on Cyprus’ tourism industry. What were the main outcomes of the initiative?
MAHBIR THUKRAL: […] These seminars were an experiment for us […] because even though there are a lot of activities in Cyprus centred around entrepreneurship and start-up culture, these were the first ones which actually enabled the creative and cultural industries in Cyprus to demonstrate why and how these industries bring commercial value to other sectors.
Furthermore, we wanted to open up the discussion on how the private sector in the leisure and tourism industry could take matters into its own hands.
If you look from the perspective of independent restaurant and bar owners in Paphos, the government and Cyprus Tourism Organisation (CTO) are generally considered to be the main perpetrators for allowing all-inclusive tourism to thrive in the area. As a result, many businesses have shut down completely, and during the winter months Paphos feels almost abandoned. […]
TRAVEL TRADE CYPRUS: How can tourism industry professionals collaborate with Pafos2017?
MAHBIR THUKRAL: […] Pafos2017 needs to devise a cohesive commercialisation strategy, and [...] it is in the hands of the board members and the politicians.
[…] Following the seminars, one initiative which Cyins of Creativity has presented to the Ministry of Energy, Commerce, Industry and Tourism is the creation of government-authorised local art and design stores, which are positioned inside all-inclusive hotel resorts.
With the hotel providing lucrative retail space, holidaymakers can purchase souvenirs and gifts which have all been designed and accredited locally, thus, supporting domestic creative and cultural entrepreneurship. To reimburse the hotel resorts for providing the retail space, they would receive a commission for each sale. [...]
Other ideas for how the leisure and tourism industry could engage with Pafos2017 and its remit include the formulation of special Pafos2017 accredited menu items in local restaurants and bars, cultural programming being performed inside hotel resorts, which, to a degree, are environments even locals do not visit very often themselves, and for all Cypriot food and drink exports to carry the Pafos2017 logo on its packaging.
TRAVEL TRADE CYPRUS: What are the main obstacles Paphos is facing?
MAHBIR THUKRAL: […] Without a doubt, Paphos has allowed itself to become almost entirely reliant on all-inclusive tourism, and with that comes a season that starts and eventually finishes.
[…] More needs to be done by all stakeholders in order to stimulate new tourism products, demographics and markets to Paphos and to Cyprus.
The all-inclusive proposition does not differ greatly from neighbouring destinations, which also tend to be cheaper [...].
A new marina in Paphos will not necessarily bring the same results as it has done in Limassol, due to the fact that as shown in the UAE, if the same model is copied multiple times within a close physical proximity, all parties will eventually be hindered due to lack of product and service diversity within that proximity.
TRAVEL TRADE CYPRUS: In the years that you have been cooperating with Paphos’ stakeholders, what views did you hear?
MAHBIR THUKRAL: […] The general consensus is an ever-increasing anxiety about what the future holds.
Holidaymakers visiting Cyprus regularly are not afraid to express their shock horror at the steady increase in prices, and when compared to other destinations in the region, the overall degradation of service delivery and quality across the board.
From the perspective of local restaurant and bar owners, having witnessed their neighbours closing the shutters for good, naturally they are worried that they will be next. Another area of concern is the growing influence that major tour operators such as TUI and Thomas Cook are having especially on the infrastructure of all-inclusive tourism in Paphos.
With their own travel agencies, airplanes and tour guides, , the next step is to take ownership of the properties themselves.
Such operators have made significant investment in this area in recent years. Will a time come when tour operators will not need the cooperation of Cypriots in order to create, sell and operate holidays in Cyprus on their own terms? […]
