The Paphos Tourism Board says that the government of Cyprus and the Ukraine must cooperate to lift a monopoly on air routes from Kiev in order to help local tourism grow.
The Paphos Tourism Board has just returned from the three-day UITT tourism fair in Kiev where it furthered contacts with travel agents and other industry professionals.
“Only the Ukrainian airline AeroSvit and Cyprus Airways have permission to fly between the two countries,” a board spokesman told. At present, there are three weekly winter flights between Kiev and Larnaca. During the summer, this rises to seven.
“Visitors from the Ukraine come to Paphos after landing in Larnaca and there is an upward trend this year. There is definitely a demand for more flights, but there needs to be more competition. An average return ticket between the Ukraine and Cyprus costs euro500 which puts tourists off,” the spokesman said.”More tour operators are sending tourists to Cyprus. if there were more competitive flight prices we could attract a higher number.” The Spokesman also said that the Cyprioty Embassy in Kiev appears to be understaffed, with tourist visa applications being complicated and taking too long.
“The government needs to address this, too,” he said.
Over the past three years the Paphos Tourism and Hotelier Association have made efforts to attract visitors from former Eastern Bloc countries such as the Ukraine and are hoping for a direct flight between Paphos and Kiev in 2o012.
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