Energy, Commerce, Industry and Tourism Minister Yiorgos Lakkotrypis has assured that competent authorities of the Republic of Cyprus are closely following latest developments with regard to the suspension of the operation of Russian tourist agencies and address all relevant issues with responsibility.
Two Russian tour operators transferring tourists to Cyprus and Greece went bankrupt recently. Two weeks ago the Russian company Neva went bankrupt, while last Saturday Russian company Labirint followed suit, leaving dozens of Russian-holiday makers stranded.
Earlier today it was made known that the Russian tourists began flying home, with around 200 Russians of the 400 total having already departed.
In his written statement, Lakkotrypis said that the competent authorities and more specifically the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism and the Cyprus Tourism Organisation, in cooperation with the Foreign Ministry and the Embassy of Cyprus in Moscow, follow closely the recent suspension of the operation of Russian tourist agencies and address any issues that come up with responsibility.
He added that despite the fact that until now Cyprus has not been particularly affected by these developments, as the number of the tourists affected is limited, the main aim of all services involved is to safeguard the reputation of the Cypriot hospitality, by treating the affected visitors in a decent way.
Lakkotrypis expressed satisfaction over the response of the hoteliers to the problem that arose and called on them to continue to provide every possible help in cooperation with the competent authorities, underlining the important role of the hoteliers in this coordinated effort.
He said that relevant guidelines were given in the framework of the constant contact that Cyprus Tourist Organization has had with the Associations of Hotels and through an announcement issued by the Cyprus Hotel Association for its members.
Lakkotrypis also stressed that the ultimate goal is to safeguard Cyprus` reputation as a friendly tourist destination “for the Russian visitors – friends of Cyprus, who are high value tourists.”
He noted that Russia is of pivotal importance for Cyprus` tourist market, noting that the increasing flow of tourists from Russia continued this year, despite the adverse conditions, something which reflects the high and substantive level of bilateral relations between the two countries and the friendly ties between the two peoples.