The Association of Cyprus Travel Agents (ACTA) is not convinced that Cyprus, which opens to tourists from 15 third countries, including Russia, as of today, can really attract enough visitors to enable the tourism sector to operate at a loss to itself. ACTA called on the authorities to develop a strategy as soon as possible to clarify all the uncertainties.

At the press conference, the Association’s president Vassilis Stamataris listed a number of “thin spots” that lead to the risk of losing a large number of tourists.

In particular, he suggested replacing PCR tests on arrival with rapid tests for those arriving from the red zone. “PCR implies at best a three-hour delay in the result. Many tourists will have already taken buses to their hotels in that time. If someone tests positive, those who were close to that person could lose their holiday as they would be deemed ‘close contacts’,” Stamataris explained. He added that rapid testing is also cheaper than PCR and tourists have to pay for the tests.

In addition, according to the ACTA head, once a traveller has successfully fulfilled the established criteria for coming to the island, there should be no further restrictions. In the meantime, it is assumed that tourists will have to comply with all the restrictions imposed on Cypriots – for example, the SMS mode of going out for fresh air. Will such conditions prove attractive to foreign visitors?

“We need a concrete strategy with planning and attention to detail,” Stamataris concluded.