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Tourism was hit the hardest by the pandemic

28/09/2020 09:26

Tourism has been hit the hardest by the pandemic, with developments unravelling in line with the worst-case scenario, President of the Cyprus Hotel Association Harris Loizides said in a statement on the occasion of World Tourism Day, on 27 September.

"Under these circumstances, state support for employees of the tourism industry was of vital importance and a step in the right direction. On our part, as a Hotel Association, we will continue to support the State’s efforts to address the effects of the pandemic and the economic recovery. At the same time, as far as this is possible, we will intensify the effort, in cooperation with the State and other stakeholders, so that this year is not completely lost and we can return to a satisfactory rate as of 2021," he pointed out.

Loizides added that despite the serious problems facing the tourism industry as a result of the pandemic, we must stay focused on the goals we have set to invest in  the quality and upgrade of the tourism product offered by Cyprus, and to promote our country as a year-round tourist destination.

"Undoubtedly, behind every crisis there are also opportunities arising. The message of the World Tourism Organisation is that the crisis triggered by the coronavirus serves as an opportunity to re-evaluate the contribution of tourism and to build a more sustainable and inclusive, resilient tourism," he said.

The objective of the Organisation,he added, is to raise awareness of the value of tourism at the societal, cultural, political and economic levels, and the ways in which it can contribute to achieving sustainable development goals. In rural areas, tourism can create significant opportunities for recovery, especially at this point in time, when local communities are called upon to deal with the economic and social impact of the pandemic.

"It is worth noting that, the new national strategy for tourism, is moving along same lines, especially on the development of other regions beyond the traditional tourist areas, and specifically the countryside and rural districts," Loizides added.