Paphos Restaurants
The Paphos Restaurateurs Association is demanding that local municipalities, the Cyprus Tourism Organisation (CTO) and the government introduce measures aimed at long-term viability for the restaurant trade as client numbers continue to plummet. They say they are prepared to take their protests to Paphos Airport if no action is taken.
The President of the Cyprus Restaurateurs Association, Neophytos Thrassyvoulou, who owns a Paphos restaurant, says that venues all over the island will demonstrate’ anywhere and anytime’ if the tourist authorities do not implement regulations that could protect custom as visitor numbers drop.
The association is making three key demands; reduction of council taxes during the tourist season and exemption during winter, the closure of restaurants which are operating illegally and a regulated ratio system for package tours.
“All-inclusive package tours are ruining our business.”
“We want the government to introduce a ratio system whereby hotels can only have 70% or 60% of beds available for package tours. Few people are venturing out of their hotels to eat because of dining three times a day at their hotel.” That out of approximately 700 restaurants in Paphos , 100 are operating without the necessary CTO licences. The association wants the authorities to get serious about closing down such establishments.
“We also want the municipality to stop issuing so many restaurant licences. The ideal number of venues for the size and tourist capacity of Paphos is about 400.”
Since the onset of the economic crisis in late 2008, Thrassyvoulou estimates that restaurant trade has dropped 35-50%.
“Cypriots, for example, used to go out three times a week. Now they only go out once, if at all. We have decreased prices but we can only do this so much and it ultimately effects the quality of the tourist product if we are cutting corners,” he aid. “We want to know that the government is behind us as we try to survive.”
Laying foundations that would include some of the measures the association is demanding, is essential for a five-year plan for the sector, said thrassyvoulou.
The association said that about 50 restaurants had closed permanently in Paphos over the last 18 months.
“The Paphos association has met and drawn up a list of demands.
“Over the next two weeks, representatives from the other districts of the island will do the same then we will speak to the authorities,” Thrassyvoulou said.” If they don,t show us some respect and stop ignoring us, we will demonstrate and shut shop. We will protest at Paphos Airport.”
Related posts:
Tags: 700 restaurants in paphos, all-inclusive, all-inclusive holidays, all-inclusive package tours, all-inclusive package tours are ruining our business, CTO licences, cypriots, cypriots for example, cyprus foods, cyprus meals, cyprus news, cyprus package tour, cyprus restaurants, cyprus restaurateurs association, cyprus tourists season, neophytos thrassyvoulou presidend, package tour, Paphos, paphos airport, paphos cyprus, paphos news, paphos restaurants, plan for the restaurant sector, plan for the sector, the cyprus tourism organisation (CTO), the economic crisis, the paphos restaurateurs association, the president of the cyprus restaurateurs association neophytos thrassyvoulou, the tourists season, their protests to paphos airport, tourists capacity, tourists capacity of cyprus, tourists capacity of paphos