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SEPTEMBER 2013
ISSUE 07
70,000 More Tourists this Winter Yiorgos Lakkotrypis, minister of commerce, industry and tourism, Cyprus, pointed out that the ministry has been very actively engaged in attracting visitors during the winter months.
Cyprus Hotels Association (CHA) welcomed the government’s decision to create a casino and its members publicly expressed satisfaction for the efforts made towards enriching Cyprus’ tourist product.
03 Wedding Tourism in Paphos Pafos Regional Board of Tourism and the municipalities and communities of the district have joined forces to raise Paphos’ profile even higher as one of the most popular Mediterranean destinations for wedding ceremonies.
07 IN THIS ISSUE MARKET UPDATE GENERAL TOURISM BOARDS NAUTICAL AIR ACCOMMODATION WHO'S MOVED TRAVEL TALK TRAVEL CHANNELS RENDEZVOUS NEWS & EVENTS
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CHA Welcomes Decision for Creation of Casino
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MARKET UPDATE
TRAVEL TRADE CYPRUS MANAGING EDITOR Mary Kammitsi mary@traveltradeweekly.travel COPY EDITOR Stefanie Saghbini
Lordos Hotels Increases Turnover Takis Kyriakides, chairman, Lordos Hotels, presented the company’s financial results for 2012, with turnover increasing by EUR595,000, thus signalling a 5.9 percent change over 2011 to reach EUR10.6 million.
SENIOR JOURNALIST Rita Kasziba JOURNALIST Maria Kazeli PRESS Maria Demetriadou Pauline Shahabian DESIGN & LAYOUT Elena Stylianou DIRECTORS Andreas Constantinides Mary Kammitsi HEADQUARTERS T.T.W. Travel Trade Weekly LTD P.O. Box 25255, Nicosia 1308 Cyprus Tel: +357 22 021607, Fax: +357 22 210466
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t the annual general meeting of Lordos Hotels held in late June at Golden Bay Beach Hotel, Larnaca, further figures revealed that the hotel group’s profit before net financial expenses, depreciation, amortisation and taxation rose 17.8 percent, while profit before tax jumped 30.2 percent. “These results were achieved in a particularly neg-
ative economic environment, and prolong our profitable performance over the past seven years, except in 2009, enhancing our solid capital base, while they reward the timeless, correct, and neat policy of the company,” commented Kyriakides. In the last seven years, Lordos Hotels recorded a net profit of EUR3.68 million as capital increased to EUR70 million, while bank loans decreased by EUR4 million.
WEBSITE www.traveltradecyprus.travel EMAILS info@traveltradeweekly.travel sales@traveltradeweekly.travel editorial@traveltradecyprus.travel PRINTED IN CYPRUS Cyprint Plc P.O. Box 58300, CY-3732, Limassol, Cyprus Tel: +357 25 720035, Fax: +357 25 720123 Email: info@cyprint.com.cy
EXCHANGE RATES
Accurate as of
27/08/2013 Golden Bay Beach Hotel COUNTRY
CURRENCY
1EUR=
US (USD)
1.34
UK (GBP)
0.86
Switzerland (CHF)
1.23
Japan (JPY)
131.20
PICTURE OF THE MONTH
Tsokkos Hotels: Q1 Downsized by 16.6 Percent Tsokkos Hotels has announced that its financial results for the first quarter (Q1) of the year have indicated a decrease in turnover of 16.6 percent compared to Q1 2012. In the relevant statement, the company estimates that due to the seasonality of the Cypriot tourism industry, earnings for Q1 reached EUR507,648 compared to EUR680,754 for the corresponding time frame in 2012, while the decline is also partially attributed to the fact that there were no revenues from land development in the period under review, versus EUR206,870 in 2012. This downturn in the income from land development was somewhat offset by the increase in income from hotel units, mainly as a result from Ascos Coral Beach Hotel being operational throughout almost all of Q1 compared to 2012 when it was open for just one month. Net finance costs surged by EUR65,201 to approximately EUR1.15 million due to the decrease in interest receivable, however loss after tax reached just EUR1.1 million compared to EUR3.1 million in the corresponding period in 2012.
SEPTEMBER 2013
MONTHLY NEWS Chinese Investor: Cyprus Offers Good Opportunities Nicos Anastasiades, president of Cyprus, recently welcomed Theodoros Aristodemou, chairman, Aristo Developers, and Charles Zhang, chairman, China Glory National Investment, which recently purchased Venus Rock Golf Resort, Paphos. Anastasiades was briefed on the large investment which was decided and announced by the
70,000 More Tourists Expected this Winter In a meeting with the mass media in order to provide an update on issues related to the tourism and energy sectors, Yiorgos Lakkotrypis, minister of commerce, industry and tourism, Cyprus, pointed out that in the context of the government’s actions to extend the tourist season and promote the island as a popular destination for 12 months a year, the ministry has been very actively engaged in attracting visitors during the winter months. As a result, Cyprus is set to receive at least 70,000 more tourists compared to the winter of 2012, Lakkotrypis announced. The effort of the government and Hermes Airports have already generated positive results, as Lakkotrypis pointed out, and as for this year’s winter season, Ryanair, Wizz Air, Norwegian, easyJet, and British Airways, have already prepared their flight schedules, which include Cyprus in their destinations list. He also added that the above airlines schedule services from eight countries and 17 destinations during the winter season, with the majority of the routes having been recently introduced and originating from countries such as Germany, Sweden, Norway, Belgium, Lithuania, Poland, and Italy, just to mention a few.
SEPTEMBER 2013
group of companies represented in Cyprus by the Chinese group. Currently, the cost of the project is approximately EUR40 million, but until its completion the cost might reach EUR400 million. According to Aristodemou, the cost of the entire investment might soar to approximately EUR1 billion upon completion, in roughly two to three years.
On his part, Zhang stated that after examining Cyprus, the company decided to invest in the island because there are very good perspectives for business. He added that the government provided his full support for this investment, noting that local employees will be mostly hired for the project.
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MONTHLY NEWS
CHA Welcomes the Decision for Creation of Casino Cyprus Hotels Association (CHA) welcomed the government’s decision to create a casino and its members publicly expressed satisfaction for the efforts made towards enriching Cyprus’ tourist product. Simultaneously, in its statement, CHA maintained its positions and views on the matter, both on the type of development and on the number of casinos, reiterating its willingness to discuss the subject with government officials. The association’s announcement supports that the decision is an important and essential step in the desired direction for strengthening and enriching the tourist product as, unequivocally, the creation of a casino will boost tourist arrivals to the island, which is set to contribute to the alleviation The decision is an impor- of tourism seasonality, and, tant and essential step in moreover, will be an essenthe desired direction for tial trigger for attracting mastrengthening and enriching jor investments to benefit the tourist product the country’s economy by creating new jobs.
Russian Arrivals Increased in May On the basis of the results of a passenger survey conducted by Cyprus’ statistical service, arrivals of tourists reached 276,244 in May, compared to 276,781 in the respective month of 2012, recording a decrease of 0.2 percent. For the month under review, a decline of 27.1 percent was reported in incoming travellers from Germany, with the service registering 10,923 arrivals as opposed to 14,985 in 2012. There was also an 18.7 percent drop in tourists coming from Greece as numbers reached just 9,311 compared to 11,446 in the same month of 2012. Lastly, UK arrivals also plunged 8.6 percent with this year’s 103,579 remaining far behind the respective 113,289 registered in 2012. Contrarily, a year-on-year increase of 43 percent in tourist arrivals was recorded from Russia, equivalent to a surge of 23,105 to reach 76,776.
Medical Tourism to be Relaunched Petros Petrides, minister of health, Cyprus, and Yiorgos Lakkotrypis, minister of commerce, industry and tourism, Cyprus, decided to reactivate the coordinating body for the promotion of issues related to medical tourism. Present at the ministerial meeting was Marios Hannides, director general, Cyprus Tourism Organisation, alongside other stakeholders in the tourism sector. As Petrides mentioned in his statement following the meeting, an action plan has been determined so as to soon begin the processes that will lead to attracting medical tourism. For his part, Lakkotrypis noted that in an effort to enrich the Cypriot tourist product, specific segments like medical tourism, should be promoted. “To get the desired results we need to move in a targeted way, as soon as possible,” he concluded.
SEPTEMBER 2013
Tourism Boards
MONTHLY NEWS
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FTCIA: Six Months Later
Ayia Napa Harbour
Famagusta Tourist Commercial Industrial Association (FTCIA) celebrated six months in operation in June and, according to Kostas Koumis, director, FTCIA, the authority has made significant steps to highlight its position and achieve its objectives, among which were meetings with state and governmental officials. These included Yiannakis Omirou, president, House of Representatives, Cyprus; Phidias Pilides, president, Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Phillipos Drousiotis, chairman, Cyprus Sustainable Tourism Initiative, and many more. Moreover, FTCIA took initiatives and actions such as the recording of funds included in the government budget relating to Famagusta; research on the Russian visitors’ perceptions on Famagusta; and support of local businesses involved in the land development sector for participation in Moscow International Exhibition Travel & Tourism.
Sharp Increase in Paphos’ Website Visitors According to statistics by Google Analytics, Paphos’ official tourist website, visitpafos. org.cy, received more than 160,000 visitors between June 1, 2012, and June 1 this year, while, most notably, 81 percent of the visitors were new. The data also revealed that the average user browsed about four pages and spent about 2.5 minutes on the website. As indicated, the main countries of origin of the users during this period hailed from the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, Sweden, Norway, Poland, Lebanon, and Cyprus, while the most popular days proved to be Monday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. In addition, the top categories viewed were accommodation, beaches, archaeological monuments, nature, and activities or recreation. Meanwhile, users can browse through the website in four different languages, including Greek, English, German, and Russian; French is set to be the latest enrichment.
SEPTEMBER 2013
Sustainable Event Management by CTO In the framework of their cooperation and commitment to upgrade quality of services, Cyprus Organisation for Standardisation (CYS) and Cyprus Tourism Organisation (CTO) successfully organised an information day for the international standard ISO 20121 regarding sustainable event management, at Filoxenia Conference Centre in June. This particular management system standard primarily aims to minimise negative impacts on
the environment, society, and local economy, while maximising event efficiency, resource management effectiveness, and involvement of the local community. The event was attended by representatives of the events organisation industry, tourism industry, sports events sector, academics, local government representatives, governmental officials, and other stakeholders in the field of organising conferences and other types of events.
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MONTHLY NEWS
Tourism Boards
Vineyards in Cyprus
Wine Routes’ Second Phase Completed
Cyprus Tourism Organisation (CTO) recently held an information workshop at Dafermou Winery in Lefkara, on the occasion of the completion of the second phase of the wine routes, a project co-financed by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development. The event began with a welcome speech by Annita Demetriadou, director of tourism, strategy and research department, CTO, who noted the importance of the project in enhancing the competitiveness of the tourism product and the uniqueness of Cyprus as a tourist destination. After emphasising the significance of the programme for rural tourism, which, along with special tourism products, is among the highest priorities in CTO’s tourism strategy plan 2011-2015, Demetriadou urged local authorities and winemakers to continue their collaboration with CTO to maximise the benefits arising from the wine routes initiative.
CTO Encourages Responsible Tourism As part of the Make Holidays Greener initiative, Cyprus Tourism Organisation (CTO), headline sponsors for The Travel Foundation’s ‘Link to What’s Local’ campaign, invited tour operators and agents to take part in a poll on its UK Facebook page to garner views on responsible tourism practices. By choosing one of the suggested options in answer to the question, ‘When it comes to encouraging your customers to ‘go local’, which of these do you think are the most important?’, and liking CTO’s UK Facebook page, agents and tour operators had the chance to share their opinions and win a place on the tourism organisation’s next familirisation trip.
CTO Endorses Ecotour Project Cyprus Tourism Organisation (CTO) participated in a coordination meeting of the ‘Ecotour’ project in Lithuania. Co-financed by the European Commission’s Leonardo da Vinci Programme, which funds practical initiatives in the field of vocational education and training, the project aims to improve the skills and competence of ecotourism stakeholders in Cyprus, Estonia, Lithuania, and Spain, while at the same time encourage ecotourism developments in the specified countries as well as across Europe in general. The working programme of the coordination meeting included planning for the design of the training modules, the means of training, including the e-learning method, pilot testing, and dissemination of the project’s results.
SEPTEMBER 2013
Tourism Boards
Wedding Tourism to be Boosted in Paphos
MONTHLY NEWS
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CTO Launches New Holiday Guide In line with its strategy for information dissemination to the general public, Cyprus Tourism Organisation (CTO) has prepared a new holiday guide. The informative material is divided into three sections offering instructions to consumers on how to book a stay in hotels; information and guidance when visiting leisure establishments; and advice regarding the use of public beaches.
[The new holiday guide] offers practical advice and guidance in order for the users to have a pleasant experience during their holidays
Pafos Regional Board of Tourism and the municipalities and communities of the district have joined forces to raise Paphos’ profile even higher as one of the most popular Mediterranean destinations for wedding ceremonies. In a meeting, stakeholders from across the district examined a wide range of issues concerning problem solving and updating laws. A thorough exchange of views in preparation of the promotional and marketing plan for 2014-2016 also took place. Attendees specifically examined the potential involvement of the province in three exhibitions for the next six months in the UK, Israel, and Moscow; enhancement of printed and electronic material; enriching the websites of the various partners; inviting of journalists from various wedding magazines; hosting specialised tour operators; and more.
Through the guide, consumers are informed about their rights and obligations, and the provisions of relevant laws. Moreover it offers practical advice and guidance in order for the users to have a pleasant experience during their holidays. CTO also urged the public to use its compilation of list of prices at beach resorts and, through proper consumer behaviour, to help keep prices at reasonable levels.
Cyprus Gains Ground in Congress Tourism The continuous efforts of the Cyprus Tourism Organisation (CTO) and the Cyprus Convention Bureau for the development of conference tourism and incentive travel proves to be productive as illustrated by the results recently published by the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) for 2012. Cyprus climbed to 49th place worldwide from 52nd which it held in 2011 and in the global city classification, Nicosia ranked 176th, while Paphos and Limassol tied at 190th, improving by 21, 22, and 44 places, respectively. In addition, Larnaca appeared for the first time in the world ranking, in 319th position. At a European level, Cyprus occupies 27th place. ICCA classifies countries and cities according to the number of international non-corporate meetings held in them which meet specific criteria. CTO’s statistical survey for conference tourism and incentive travel for 2012 is also underway. The results of the analysis, which is conducted annually, are expected to be particularly encouraging due to the Cyprus EU Presidency.
SEPTEMBER 2013
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MONTHLY NEWS
Maritime Cyprus 2013 to Launch
Nautical
Ministerial Visit at Limassol Marina
The Cyprus Shipping Chamber has announced that the Maritime Cyprus 2013 conference will be held between October 6 - 9. According to the chamber’s statement, the Maritime Cyprus 2013 organising committee is in the process of finalising the programme of the forum and the arrangements for the social opening event of the conference (Rendez-Vous reception). Maritime Cyprus is a biennial international shipping conference, which has been jointly organised in Cyprus since 1989 by the Ministry of Communications and Works, Department of Merchant Shipping, Cyprus Shipping Chamber, and more recently the Cyprus Union of Shipowners. The event aims to serve as a forum where important and current issues relating to international shipping are presented by distinguished speakers and subsequently discussed by the international shipping community. Yiorgos Lakkotrypis
Yiorgos Lakkotrypis, minister of energy, commerce, industry and tourism, Cyprus, recently visited Limassol Marina, accompanied by members of the Steering Committee for Marinas. During the visit, the delegation was briefed on the latest developments at the project, including the delivery of the apartments, the arrival of the first yachts, and the completion of the harbour master offices. Boasting a capacity of 650 berths, elegant apartments and villas, and its own shopping and dining area, the EUR350 million waterfront development is set to transform the face of Limassol. Contracts in excess of EUR90 million have already been signed for the luxury residences, and reservations of EUR26 million in value have also been received since the marina welcomed the first yachts in April.
Shipping Issues Discussed in Oslo A large number of shipowners associations from all over the world attended the board of directors and annual general meeting of the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), which was held in Oslo, Norway, between June 6 - 7. Dirk Fry, immediate past president, Cyprus Shipping Chamber, and Thomas Kazakos, director general, Cyprus Shipping Chamber, represented the organisation at the meeting, where Fry was re-elected as a member of the ICS board of directors. The main issues discussed during the event were the continuous measures taken by the international shipping industry to reduce, even further, the amount of green house gas emissions, the challenges associated with the implementation of new International Maritime Organization environmental regulations, as well as the burning issue of piracy and armed attacks on ships.
Oslo, Norway
SEPTEMBER 2013
MONTHLY NEWS
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Upgrading Larnaca’s Tourism Product
Salt Lake, Larnaca
Andreas Louroutziatis, mayor, Larnaca, and Dinos Lefkaritis, chairman, Larnaka Tourism Board, held a meeting to discuss issues related to the improvement of the city’s tourism product. It was decided that the municipality and the board will provide free activities for tourists staying in Larnaca during the winter months, including several events held by the municipality. The possibility of creating infrastructure for beach sports and proposals to enhance the experience of visitors to the Larnaca Salt Lake were also explored. Moreover, the two officials also discussed various actions to strengthen the civil marriages market resulting from relevant recommendations for travel agents, with Louroutziatis stating his willingness and readiness to adopt a range of additional services to attract more civil marriages from foreign markets. The aim of these actions is to enrich the winter tourism product and strengthen bookings over the period between November to March.
Paphos e-Guide Read by 200,000 in a Year Pafos Regional Board of Tourism has announced that the city’s official electronic tourist guide, which has been available since June 2012, registered high visitation figures over a 12-month period. According to statistics by the Swedish company ArrivalGuides, which created the guide, the electronic apparatus was downloaded by more than 200,000 visitors to the site, between June 2012 and the same month this year, while it is estimated that it was distributed or read by more than 350,000 individuals. For the specific period, the majority of readers, in descending order, were from Sweden, Italy, Germany, UK, Norway, and Belgium. The Paphos electronic guide (e-guide) is available in English, German, Swedish, while it includes descriptions of Paphos’ four municipalities, beaches, places of interest, tourist accommodations, and more. Aimed directly at consumers and circulating through a very efficient network distribution, the guide is forwarded electronically to more than 40 airlines and 100 tourism platforms and electronic media, mainly in priority markets.
SEPTEMBER 2013
Geronisos Island Excavation Completed The department of antiquities of the Cypriot Ministry of Communications and Works has completed five weeks of excavation at the island of Geronisos, opposite Agios Georgios Pegeias, which is part of New York University’s Geronisos Island Expedition, under the direction of professor Joan Breton Connelly. Results from four seasons of excavation show that Geronisos had an active Chalcolithic phase and flourished under the rule of the famous Egyptian Queen Cleopatra, between 50-30 B.C. Coins, pottery, glass, inscriptions, and unique architectural remains suggest that Geronisos preserves one of the most significant Ptolemaic sites outside Egypt. Architectural discoveries made this season join those from earlier years to give an idea of just how much of the original surface of Yeronisos has been lost to wind and sea erosion, undercutting the cliffs and causing widespread collapse of the island’s perimeter.
Geronisos Island
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MONTHLY NEWS
Air
airBaltic
airBaltic: Summer Flights Boast Load Factor
airBaltic carried a total of 301,646 passengers in June, up from 298,350 travellers in the corresponding month in 2012, lifting passenger volumes for the first half of the year to 1,344,961. During the first six months, the Latvian airline transported a total of 1,344,961 travellers, following a drop of seven percent in the number of flights operated in June alone, which reached 22,014 compared to 23,750 in the corresponding month in 2012, the carrier’s summer schedule was boosted with new services to Prague, Czech Republic; Hévíz-Balaton, Hungary; Olbia, Italy; Rijeka, Croatia; Larnaca; and Malta. The new flights also helped load factor increase by two percentage points to 78 percent in the month under review, and the 15-minute flight punctuality indicator for the airline was at a level of 77.7 percent.
Austrian Airlines
Austrians Dream about Greece
CTO and Famagusta Support Open Skies Policy In a meeting held in late July, Cyprus Tourism Organisation (CTO) and the Agia Napa – Protaras – Famagusta Region Tourism Board reiterated their support for the implementation of an open skies policy, stating that this would help extend the tourist season and ameliorate tourism seasonality. Both parties came to a decision to coordinate their efforts in order to achieve this goal as soon as possible, focusing their attempts at the liberalisation of charter flights from Moscow and St. Petersburg. On behalf of the national tourism authority, Alekos Orountiotis, chairman, CTO, explained that the organisation has prepared a comprehensive study on seasonality which will be utilised to the fullest. The meeting covered all areas of cooperation between the two parties, with Orountiotis assuring that the local tourism authorities enjoy CTO’s full trust and support.
Greece remains a popular destination of choice for Austrian travellers with one in eight, or 12 percent, stating that they will be travelling to the Mediterranean country on holiday this year. According to a survey released by Austrian Airlines, 10 percent of the respondents wish to visit Spain, while nine percent of them plan to explore the US. In their final decisions, culturally valuable tourist attractions (42 percent) topped the list, followed by holiday by the sea (37 percent) as the main criteria, while long-distance travel (24 percent) came third. As Karsten Benz, member, executive board, Austrian Airlines, noted, the results of the market research confirm that today’s travellers are looking for more than just sun and sand and in response to the growing demand, the airline has already increased its operations to Greece, Spain, and the US. The study further illustrates that 37 percent of those taking private holidays abroad chose to travel by air with the average Austrian taking to the skies 3.5 times a year.
SEPTEMBER 2013
Air
MONTHLY NEWS
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Larnaka International Airport
Hermes Airports Introduces Flight Tracker
Hermes Airports has launched a new Flight Tracker messaging service enabling passengers to obtain flight information at both Larnaka International Airport and Pafos International Airport. Travellers can easily activate their accounts by sending a simple text message with the flight code to the designated number. The automatic response will then provide them with immediate information regarding the status of the flight at the moment of enquiry. By adding a question mark after the flight code, subscribers also have the opportunity to receive live updates until the deletion of the flight from the schedule, including commencement of the checkin and boarding process, delays, as well as departure and arrival times. The Flight Tracker service is offered completely free of charge by Hermes Airports, excluding the fee for sending text messages charged by the subscriber’s telecommunications company.
easyJet: Strong First Half easyJet concluded six months ending March 31 with a total revenue of GBP1.6 billion (EUR1.88 billion), marking a year-on-year improvement of 9.3 percent. Revenue initiatives and the focus on maintaining the airline’s cost advantage coupled with competitor capacity reductions and the timing of Easter have enabled the carrier to reduce its pre-tax loss by GBP51 million (EUR59.79 million) to GBP61 million (EUR71.52 million). During the six-month stretch, average load factor increased 1.7 percentage points to 88.6 percent, whilst capacity grew 3.3 percent to 30 million seats. According to Carolyn McCall, CEO, easyJet, the airline’s strong first-half performance demonstrates the company’s structural advantage in the European short-haul market against both legacy and low-cost competition, as well as the continuing resilience against a challenging European macro-economic environment.
SEPTEMBER 2013
Lufthansa App for Windows Phone 8
Lufthansa App
Lufthansa has further expanded its mobile services with a new smartphone application (app) for users of Windows Phone 8. Passengers using this operating system are now able to take advantage of the live-tile function where the most important information on flight status is pinned on the start screen without the need to open the app. In addition, the app provides travellers with easy access to the entire timetable of the German airline from anywhere, and enables them to book on the move or check in to their flights any time and file their electronic boarding pass in their phone, saving them time as well as roaming fees. Today, more than 98 percent of all smartphone users worldwide can utilise the Lufthansa app and benefit from its extensive functions.
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MONTHLY NEWS
Accommodation
Amathus Beach Hotel Paphos Handed Over Amathus Public, subsidiary of Lanitis Group of Companies, announced the termination of the management agreement for Amathus Beach Hotel Paphos, with effect from 2014. According to the company’s announcement, after taking into account all factors its board of directors have decided that Amathus Public interests are better served by terminating the management contract due to better investment performance under the new scheme. Amathus Beach Hotel Paphos is a five-star accommodation in Cyprus’ west coast featuring luxury restaurants, upscale spa, conference centre, familyfriendly facilities, while it offers exclusive golfing packages and bespoke wedding and concierge services. Following this development, the property will eventually shut down to undergo the necessary renovations and assume its new image and name.
Amathus Beach Hotel Paphos
Kanika International Business Center: 90 Percent Occupancy Within just months of its opening, Kanika International Business Center (KIBC), the new commercial property in Limassol, has achieved 90 percent occupancy. Taking advantage of the centre’s prime location just 100m from the sea on the stretch of the Yermasoyia tourist area, in close proximity to major hotels, as well as its comprehensive services and modern facilities, a number of long-established companies have chosen to re-locate to KIBC. The centre offers ample parking, landscaped gardens, and purpose-designed outdoor function areas for corporate events, while tenants and visitors enjoy high security, concierge services, and spacious, luxury interiors with private conference rooms for each company, alongside advanced technology throughout the property. In addition, a roof garden, spa, Jacuzzi, and gym are also available.
World’s First Restorative Spa Palace in Cyprus Antara Destination Spa & Resort, located on the southwest shores of the island, in Polis Chrysochous, is due to open its premises on October 5. The property is set to redefine the benchmark of traditional luxury spas by delivering a fusion of ancient knowledge and modern scientific research in an ambience with opulent interiors, landscaped gardens, and courteous services. Inside the resort, each wall is hand-painted to represent the palaces of the Ancient Greek aristocracy, while the six royal suites and one presidential suite display unique architecture, floor to ceiling windows, private terraces with views of the Mediterranean Sea, and exclusive amenities. Other facilities include a private cinema, outdoor infinity pool, yoga and meditation rooms, a grand gallery, beach lounge and tropical garden terrace. Guests can also hire the 2,400m2 palace, including all the spa and fitness facilities, infinity pool, gourmet dining areas, and abundant garden terraces.
Antara Destination Spa & Resort
SEPTEMBER 2013
Accommodation
Elias Beach Hotel Opens Two New Restaurants
MONTHLY NEWS
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Grecian Park Hotel Awarded by Thomas Cook
Blue Paradise Tavern
In the presence of the hotel’s management and employees, Grecian Park Hotel, Protaras, has been awarded two certificates from British tourist company Thomas Cook, for the years 2011 and 2012. The accolade ‘Award for Excellence’ presented to the hotel was created by the UK-based travel company, as it aims to recognise and honour establishments which significantly exceeded traveller’s expectations. Properties are assessed according to the results of questionnaires of Thomas Cook’s customers and the assessment criteria include various categories such as accommodation, quality and variety of services, quality of food, events, and more. Grecian Park Hotel is located in the Cape Greco area overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, and features 238 rooms, 16 of which are suites, three restaurants serving Cypriot, international, and Japanese cuisines, four bars, fitness centre, spa, hairdresser, outdoor and indoor pools, and six conference rooms.
Following in the successful footsteps of its sister hotels in Paphos and Agia Napa, Elias Beach Hotel in Limassol, member of Kanika Hotels, presented its two new restaurants offering Cypriot and Japanese cuisine at the hotel’s terraces overlooking the sea. The Japanese restaurant, Kiku, is ready to welcome both the residents of Elias Beach Hotel, as well as local and foreign visitors. The menu includes a wide variety of dishes as well as many of which are prepared on the spot, all served al fresco on the lobby terrace. Additionally, for lovers of the Cypriot cuisine, the Blue Paradise tavern offers Mediterranean delicacies, in a series of starter-sized delicacies, meat platters, and traditional sweets, only a few steps from the sandy beach.
New Treatments Launch at Ayii Anargyri Ayii Anargyri Natural Healing Spa Resort, Paphos, has announced future plans for the spa with an increased focus in health and wellness which has prompted the property’s team to look into developing various different packages for detoxification treatments. These include multiple hydrotherapy treatments, in combination with a special healthy diet developed by the resort’s chef that can be enjoyed over one- or two-week programmes by outside guests visiting the spa on a daily basis, or by those residing at the boutique hotel. “We will also be opening an endoecology centre soon. We will also include walks, yoga and Pilates, as well as lectures on the various aspects of health and healthy living in these programmes,” revealed Ingrid Price, spa manager, Ayii Anargyri Natural Healing Spa Resort.
SEPTEMBER 2013
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MONTHLY NEWS
International
European Tourism Needs Joint Efforts
Bojnice Castle, Slovakia
The recently-released European Travel Commission (ETC)’s report ‘European Tourism in 2013 Trends & Prospects’ has emphasised that the persistence of a negative economic climate calls for a joint effort of both the public and private sector to create coherent stimuli and to sustain future growth. Data revealed that out of 22 destinations reporting foreign visitors’ arrivals through March-June, the vast majority experienced positive growth. Smaller destinations led in terms of increases in foreign tourist arrivals, with Iceland, at 30 percent, and Slovakia, at 20 percent, as top performers. Montenegro, Latvia, and Croatia followed with a surge of around nine percent, while Hungary and Poland stood at seven percent. On the other end of the spectrum, Cyprus marked a depletion of 12 percent, due to negative publicity received at the beginning of the year. Moreover, most destinations have reported growth from the French and UK markets, while the German segment consolidates the positive performance of past years. Russian demand also persists strongly, bringing conspicuous gains to the Eastern European destinations.
Russians Prefer Last-Minute Bookings A survey by IPK International’s World Travel Monitor, commissioned by ITB Berlin, has indicated that among the top 10 international source markets for travel abroad, Russia reported the highest percentage of last-minute bookings in 2012, with 73 percent finalising their holiday arrangements less than a month before departing. The research further shows that this trend among the Russians has remained unchanged over the past five years, with hardly any fluctuation. The Italian and Chinese segments also belong in the same category, however, unlike Russia, last-minute bookings in the specified markets declined. In 2012, 64 percent of Italian holidaymakers booked their trips at the last moment, with figures dropping by five percent compared to 2008, while a similar trend was reported in China whose number of last-minute bookings fell from 73 percent in 2008, to 62 percent in 2012.
BBC World News Launches on Commercial Maritime Vessels From this autumn, BBC World News bulletins will be available onboard commercial maritime vessels via Telemar Scandinavia and NSSLGlobal. The news channel will be broadcast several times daily providing marine crews with access to BBC’s informative coverage of international news, current affairs, as well as sport. As Colin Lawrence, distribution director, BBC World News, noted, the new service will enable the crews of over 800 vessels around the globe to remain connected to the wider world. Tomas Martinsson, general manager, Telemar, added, “The importance of crew retention for ship owners is crucial. Providing additional TV services will improve morale for crew and also be done without amassing an unexpected airtime bill or imposing on a broadband package.” Continuing, Sally-Anne Ray, managing director, NSSLGlobal, said, “The new service will provide a great deal of opportunities for the future and NSSLGlobal and Telemar are pleased to be at the forefront, leading the way in satellite communications for our customers.”
SEPTEMBER 2013
WHO'S MOVED
WESLEY PORTER Wesley Porter has been named CEO of Hermes Airports. Having worked in the industry for two decades, Porter brings a wealth of experience in the fields of airport management and operations to Larnaka International Airport and Pafos International Airport. Porter succeeds Craig Richmond who recently accepted an offer to take up the position of president and CEO of Vancouver Airport in
SEPTEMBER 2013
his home country, Canada. Iacovos Iacovou, chairman, Hermes Airports, as well as members of the board have expressed their sincere appreciation to Richmond for his services to the island’s two international airports and have wished him all the best in his future career.
Porter brings a wealth of experience in [...] airport management and operations
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GEORGE ZAMBOGLOU George Zamboglou has undertaken the role of sales and marketing manager at E Hotel Spa & Resort Cyprus. Having acquired a bachelor of science in marketing, he went on to practise this knowledge and now has more than 10 years of experience in the hospitality industry. Zamboglou has served as group sales manager at Leptos Calypso Hotels and sales and marketing
manager at Capo Bay Hotel, while at present works as a training instructor approved by the Human Resource Development Authority of Cyprus. In his new role, Zamboglou will be responsible for project development and management, public relations and media coordination, social media development and optimisation of website, customer relations management, and advertising strategy.
travel talk is your space
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TRAVEL TALK ALEXIS SAVERIADES
SÁNDOR KENYERES
Assistant professor, department of hotel and tourism management, Cyprus University of Technology.
Owner, Antara Destination Spa & Resort.
“The successful integration of tourism and hospitality with other disciplines has led to a remarkable success of our department in securing research grants at national and European levels. Our successful track record on INTERREG (Innovation & Environmental Regions of Europe Sharing Solutions), MED (an EU transnational cooperation programme) and other regional cooperation projects as well as our extensive participation in the 7th Framework Programme, demonstrates the overall quality depth and range of the scientific expertise of our department.
“We built Antara Destination Spa & Resort as a specially protected and uniquely intimate place for regeneration where the atmosphere, interiors and evocative details serve to create harmony for body and soul.”
We built Antara Destination Spa & Resort as a specially protected and uniquely intimate place
SALLI FELTON
TASOS MITSOPOULOS
Acting chief executive, Travel Foundation.
Minister of communications and works, Cyprus.
“It is great news to have Cyprus on board to help champion and showcase more sustainable holidays and illustrate how they are experienced by holidaymakers. We [have been] looking forward to kicking off [this year’s ‘Make Holidays Greener’] campaign with Cyprus Tourism Organisation, our trade partners, and the media to help people understand the part they can play in looking after our beautiful holiday destinations.”
“It is great news to have Cyprus on board to help champion and showcase more sustainable holidays
“With [Alekos Orountiotis, chairman, Cyprus Tourism Organisation (CTO) and Marios Hannides, director general, CTO,] we had a very useful and productive meeting during which we discussed major issues concerning primarily CTO’s outlook. I must tell you that the ministry of communications and works has taken very decisive steps towards liberalisation of air transport, mainly to markets of interest to Cyprus and from which there is a large tourist flow to Cyprus. Already, we have asked the Russian side to release charter flights throughout the year. With Ukraine, which is also a very important market for the Cypriot tourism, this has already been achieved.”
TRAVEL TALK IS YOUR SPACE – this is a casual forum for travel industry professionals to discuss current issues and share stories. We want to hear from you, so send your comments, questions, frustrations and observations to editorial@traveltradecyprus.travel SEPTEMBER 2013
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Q & A with Petros Stratis Congress tourism is flourishing in Cyprus and immediate measures must be taken to benefit from this favourable niche segment, according to Petros Stratis, managing director, EasyConferences, who believes that it has the ability to grow drastically and thus bridge the gaps which are currently present in the current tourism sector.
Travel Trade Cyprus: What kind of events does EasyConferences organise and which are your main feeder markets? Petros Stratis: EasyConferences was initially established as a corporate business travel agency in 1991. Since 2007, the company shifted its focus and concentrated on the organisation of academic events. As the company grew, it expanded into the organisation of all kinds of conferences and congresses. The company has built and is using very successfully its own custom-made software, easyconferences.org, and in the next couple of months it will be launching new software that will offer a complete online solution for conference organisation. Travel Trade Cyprus: Is conference tourism an emerging market for Cyprus and one that is worth being tapped into further?
we face when organising an event is the extremely bad bus system and cost of local taxi transfers. The state should create a countrywide bus network that will connect all ports of entry on the island with all major cities. This network should be centrally coordinated, it should have very frequent routes, and it should be very affordable. Thirdly, there should be encouragement of more airlines to use Cyprus as a destination and/or a hub. Fourthly, give priority to completing/refurbishing the general infrastructure that affects visitors. For instance the state of the road connecting Kato Paphos and Coral Bay and the lack of walking paths and cycling paths is completely unacceptable.
Petros Stratis Managing director, EasyConferences
Petros Stratis: Conference tourism is an emerging market in Cyprus and it could expand dramatically completing gaps that exist in the current tourism business model. Conferences take place at different times of the year which means that they can help minimise the current seasonality on the island. Furthermore, it can fill up occupancy gaps in hotels that normal tour operating may create due to different kinds of demands, like school holidays, public holidays, summer season. [...]
Lastly, there must be a reward/punishment system in order to encourage professionalism, service, and creativity. For instance, we could create yearly awards for best food, best décor, and best service. We could subsidise the use of traditional chairs by the beach instead of plastic chairs. We could recognise outstanding service and assistance. On the other hand, we could create a shame list for professionals that have failed their clients. Travel Trade Cyprus: Regarding infrastructure, facilities, and services available, how challenging is it to organise a congress event in Cyprus? Petros Stratis: The difficult part of conference organisation is the fact that organisers have to coordinate many different services in order to produce a great event. One may complete most of the services impeccably, but if one small thing goes wrong, then the whole venture may fail. Many times, when I am asked about my job, I will say, ‘It is not nuclear physics, but I feel like I am a juggler who throws many balls in the air and the effort is not to let a single ball hit the ground’. Luckily, in Cyprus most of the people and companies involved in this business are excellent professionals that make the life of an organiser much easier. Furthermore, it is in a Cypriot’s nature to be courteous and hospitable and usually we will all collectively go beyond limits to satisfy the needs of the clients.
Travel Trade Cyprus: Does the Cypriot tourism industry cater sufficiently to business travellers and what can be done to enhance this offering? Petros Stratis: The Cypriot tourist product in general is quite good and the level of satisfaction of conference participants is very high. The hotels in Cyprus are of very high standards and support services are very efficient. There are several things that could be done to improve this product and to also increase numbers to much higher levels. In my opinion, the most important ones are firstly the creation of conference centres in every city that could cater for bigger conferences (1,001-10,000 participants). Furthermore, these conference centres should provide conference facilities for 20-50 parallel sessions. [...] Second is the reorganisation and rebirth of the public bus system. One of the biggest problems that
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A fifth point is creating favourable laws and policies to attract investments in casinos, marinas, theme parks, and training centres. Another point is reorganisation and change of mission for the Cyprus Tourism Organisation (CTO). CTO should only set and help maintain standards on the one hand, and provide promotion on the other. Moreover, there should be a change of government policy to encourage the island as one and not as many different districts. [...] Time and time again it has been proven that the island is perceived as one big resort and whenever there is a problem it affects everybody. On this note, bureaucracy should be eliminated.
The Cypriot tourist product in general is quite good and the level of satisfaction of conference participants is very high
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TRAVEL CHANNELS
CSTI to Host Forum on Sustainability
Vocational Qualifications Programme Launched
Cyprus Sustainable Tourism Initiative (CSTI), Cyprus Tourism Organisation (CTO), and The Travel Foundation, UK’s sustainable tourism charity, invite their hospitality partners to a free training workshop this month.
T
he three sessions of the event, set to introduce CTO’s new minimum standards for sustainability in hotels, are to be held at Cyprotel Cypria Maris, Paphos, Cyprotel Poseidonia Beach, Limassol, and Capo Bay Hotel, Protaras, on September 10, 11, and 12, respectively. The workshop will feature presentations by various key industry players including, ‘Why minimum standards are important for UK tour operators’ by Sean Owens, sustainable product manager, TUI UK and Ireland; ‘Guidelines for meeting the CTO
minimum standards for sustainability in hotel establishments’ by Julie Middleton, manager, industry programmes, The Travel Foundation; and ‘What to expect from an audit’ by Louis Loizou, managing director, Conquest Business Advisors. CSTI urges all accommodation enterprises to take advantage of this one-off opportunity to learn how to effectively implement the standards for their benefit, as well as Cyprus as a quality tourism destination by improving quality, reducing costs, improving customer satisfaction, creating greater staff engagement, and supporting the local community.
Training at Napa Plaza Hotel
As part of setting up and operating the System of Vocational Qualifications in Cyprus, through which the ability of an individual in a particular qualification is tested and certified, Cyprus’ Human Resource Development Authority (HRDA), has started the certification of professional qualifications at the hotel and catering industry. Napa Plaza Hotel and Top Kinisis Travel, along with professional associations, such as the Cyprus Bartenders Association, have already started the examination and certification of a significant number of industry members. The testing is held at HRDA-approved centres and involves monitoring the execution of work in real or simulated conditions by a two-member committee and any person can apply for examination and qualification free of charge, regardless of the ways in which they obtained the necessary knowledge and skills.
Sustainable2Wheels in September As part of the European Mobility Week, which will run between September 16 - 22, the Sustainable2Wheels event will once again throw the spotlight on the close link between transportation and environment. Now in its fourth year, the ‘Sustainable2Wheels, Clean Air - It’s your move!’ event will take place on September 18 on the Esplanade of the European Parliament and will bring together European busi-
nesses, policymakers, and citizens to highlight how two-wheel transport solutions can contribute to cleaner, greener, and healthier living environments. This year’s programme will feature a shows and test area that will be open to the public; two interactive debate sessions with senior business, civil society, and policymaker representatives; and the presentation of the inaugural Sustainable2Wheels Yearbook. Sustainable2Wheels 2012
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Q & A with Dr. Alexis Saveriades The Cyprus University of Technology (CUT) offers, for the first time in Cyprus, an academic degree in hotel and tourism management, and here, Alexis Saveriades, assistant professor, department of hotel and tourism management, CUT, speaks about educating and empowering tomorrow’s leaders.
Travel Trade Cyprus: Tell us a little about this faculty. Alexis Saveriades: The department of hotel and tourism management envisions in becoming an international centre of excellence for teaching and research in the fields of tourism and hospitality management. The department has developed an ideal learning environment in which students receive a paedagogically sound academic experience that adequately prepares them for a successful managerial level career in the tourism and hospitality industry. Our industry encompasses the following sectors: accommodation, food and beverage, entertainment, travel, airline, and public and private organisations, that pursue sustainable tourism development, promotion and administration of the country’s tourist destinations. We aim to educate high-calibre individuals who are able to serve the tourism and hospitality industry in Cyprus or elsewhere. Our objectives entail the development, promotion, and dissemination in a rational manner, of the scientific knowledge and values on which the tourism and hospitality profession are based. Towards this end, we provide high-calibre undergraduate and postgraduate education. Our department currently offers an undergraduate degree, BSc (Bachelor of Science), in hotel and tourism management as well as a Master’s degree in international tourism and hospitality management. In addition, we offer a doctoral programme which leads to the award of a PhD. It is worth noting here that we have established a close association with the hotel and tourism community in Cyprus and, through our taught programmes of study, we provide students with state-of-the-art industry-related knowledge, skills, and experience. On an international basis, we facilitate and extend international cooperation and student/faculty mobility, primarily in European Union countries. Travel Trade Cyprus: Why should young Cypriots pursue a career in hotel and tourism management? Alexis Saveriades: Tourism is indeed the driving force of the island’s economy. Tourist arrivals have been steadily increasing over the past few years. […] If one takes into consideration the recent economic developments in Cyprus, it is clear that with the se-
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vere problems of the banking sector and the subsequent decrease in the activity of other productive sectors of the economy, for example housing and real estate development, [this year] will definitely be an extremely difficult year for the economy.
Dr. Alexis Saveriades Assistant professor, department of hotel and tourism management, CUT
However, contrary to the negative economic climate, the tourism sector has once more proved that [despite] its little ups and downs, it is an economic sector built on solid foundations which manages to deliver what it promises to, albeit the fierce competition by other destinations. It is expected that this year’s results will be down but very close to 2012 results, and this alone is very encouraging for the sustainability and value of this sector to the Cyprus economy. Based on the aforementioned, the department has seen a steady but controlled intake of students who opt to study in the fields of hotel and tourism management. We currently offer a maximum of 40 new seats per annum on our undergraduate programme. Parallel to this, our postgraduate programme runs with an intake of approximately 10 students per annum. It is envisaged that this growth will become even higher in the years to come as young school graduates are turning to professions which have proven to be healthy in the long-term, and, most importantly,
have proven that they can withstand whenever global economic turmoil hits the ground. Pursuing a career in the tourism and hotel industry is not simply a joyful and interactive profession; it is a profession which progressively rewards well and also offers employment opportunities across the globe. What [I am] stressing here is the fact that our programmes at the department of hotel and tourism management are no different to internationally-acclaimed programmes in renowned faculties in Europe and the US. The programmes of study have been developed based on international standards and teams of professors from all continents who worked closely with the CUT faculty in putting together the content of the programmes which are on offer. Furthermore, CUT takes pride in the rigorous selection of procedures followed in selecting its academics. A high percentage of faculty members have long and successful experiences in universities from across the globe and enjoy healthy records of research and publications in their respective fields of expertise. This […] coupled with the fact that we control the number of intakes, makes our university and subsequently our department stand out from the crowd and equally compete, in substance, with other international universities. We envision that we will further strengthen our standing in the international academic arena, when we start offering our taught programmes in the English language as well. Travel Trade Cyprus: Based on your opinion, how well-prepared are these students to take on managerial positions in the hotel and tourism industry? Alexis Saveriades: We have to be frank with what we tell students. There is no single academic qualification that will earn you a managerial position from day one. A managerial position in industry is something you earn through hard work and this is indeed the direction we guide our students into. Contrary to vocational training, education at university level provides the operational knowledge but it also develops student’s analytical and conceptual skills that are vital in one’s professional development, which will lead to higher levels of authority. What we do offer our students is an amalgamation of all those vital skills; technical, conceptual, analytical, human, managerial; for a successful career in the hospitality and tourism professions.
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NEWS & EVENTS
Seminar on Tourism Product Enhancement The European Consumer Centre of Cyprus, which is hosted and operated at the premises of the Ministry of Commerce, Industry, and Tourism, organised a workshop entitled ‘Strengthening Tourism Product, a Solution to the Economic Crisis’. During his speech at the event, Yiorgos Lakkotrypis, minister of commerce, industry and tourism, Cyprus, noted that tourism has the potential to contribute greatly towards efforts to end the crisis, through a combination of activities, services, and industries which offer a travel experience, while it can help raise living standards, create new jobs, increase investments and, more importantly, lead to economic growth. “Undoubtedly, the tourism sector is a powerful weapon to tackle the economic crisis and its consequences. The prospects opening before us are large and the challenges equally important. Tourism can bring back hope and support our country and I assure you that our government is currently working intensively to substantially upgrade it,” Lakkotrypis declared.
SEEMORE Hosted in Limassol
Rental Bikes in Limassol
Central European Initiative, the intergovernmental forum for regional cooperation in Europe, announced that Limassol will host the 4th consortium meeting of the EU-funded project, Sustainable and Energy Efficient Mobility Options in Tourist Regions in Europe (SEEMORE) on October 8-9. The venture, supported by the EU Intelligent Energy Europe programme, aims to strengthen cooperation between tourism professionals and transport operators, in order to provide better sustainable transport modes to tourists. Among others, SEEMORE aims to provide tourists with information on how to reach major tourist attractions with the use of sustainable transport.
Cyprus Sailing Championships in Limassol The Cyprus Sailing Championships for men, men’s youth (under 21), and boys (under 19) of the Olympic categories Laser Standard, 470 and RS: X, were held between July 26-28, at the Limassol Nautical Club area. The event, which followed the ISAF Youth Sailing World Championship hosted on the island between July 13-20, brought with it low intensity winds and changeable in direction, said to have complicated the stewards’ task. Eventually, Limassol Nautical Club’s squad dominated in the Laser and 470 categories achieving the ultimate in almost all categories.
EVENTS The Wine Festival Limassol, Cyprus, August 29 – September 8, 2013 (www.limassolmunicipal.com.cy) Set within the city’s municipal gardens, situated near the sea, this year’s wine festival celebrates its 52nd edition, once again reviving ancient festive manifestations. The Elixir of Love (Pafos Aphrodite Festival) Paphos, Cyprus, September 6 – 8, 2013 (www.pafc.com.cy) This year’s event will open with Donizetti’s masterpiece, The Elixir of Love, and is expected to attract music lovers from across the island. Short Matters Nicosia, Cyprus, September 11 – 13, 2013 Limassol, Cyprus, September 17 – 18, 2013 (www.artosfoundation.org/shortmatters) During the programme, short film fans will experience a cinematic journey through films first in Nicosia and then in Limassol. 7th Cyprus - Russia Charity Gala Nicosia, Cyprus, September 14, 2013 (www.presidency.gov.cy) Hailed as one of the most important Russian artistic events outside the borders of Russia which will take place at the Presidential Palace. 5th Cyprus Professional Services Conference Nicosia, Cyprus, September 18, 2013 The conference’s programme will focus on the future of the island as an international business centre and the development of the Cypriot professional services. Cyprus International 4-day Challenge Paphos, Cyprus, November 21 – 24, 2013 (www.cypruschallenge.com) A four-day event offering participants an adventurous challenge with four different races. 38th Cyprus International Fair Nicosia, Cyprus, October 4 -9, 2013 (www.csfa.org.cy) One of the major events on the island for businesses of all kinds and sizes. This year’s fair aims to give prominence to the opportunities which co-exist with the economic situation, so these options can be optimally utilised by businesses and the exhibitors.
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