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Sea and sunshine are not enough to put Cyprus back on the tourism map, and that is where the Cyprus Tourism Organisation's strategic plan comes in, the House Finance Committee was informed yesterday.
CTO President Photis Photiou informed the Committee that, despite a very difficult year for tourism, Cyprus saw a 5.5 per cent increase in arrivals and a 2.5 per cent increase in revenue in 2005. 'After three years of decreases, this is a very positive development. Despite outside influences that couldn't have been controlled - for example bird flu - tourism noted a significant progress over the year. And by realising our strategic plan we believe we will enrich our income further,' said Photiou.
Though the International Tourism Organisation predicts a decrease in travel worldwide, Photiou expressed the opinion that with the co-operation of the private and public sectors as well as regional authorities and the government, Cyprus can for a second year running see an improvement in tourism.
The CTO budget for 2006 has seen a 10 per cent increase, he continued, which is due to the increase in resources for projection and advertising. (The budget for 2006 was set at C£44,470,000 compared to C£40,311,000 for 2005.)
Photiou explained that part of the organisation's advertising strategy will be to give it a more regional approach, with separate advertisements for different countries, taking into account language and culture. 'Until now, our advertising has been done in a standard English way. Part of our new strategy is to create projection that will appeal to the country its being broadcast in.' The CTO strategic plan also includes the restructuring of the organisation, the construction of important development works (such as golf courses, marinas, the Limassol Conference Centre), the re-training of hotel and restaurant staff and the strengthening of already flourishing aspects of Cypriot tourism, such as religious tourism, sports tourism and medical tourism.
A sore point holding the development of Cypriot tourism back, said Photiou, is the operation of casinos in northern Cyprus: 'C£30-40million a year is being spent in illegally operating casinos of the north,' he said.
Photiou informed the Committee that the occupied areas accepted around 566,000 tourists a year; 450,000 of them come from Turkey and 116,000 of them are British. 'Tourists come to unoccupied Cyprus and go on day trips to the Turkish Cypriot side. Some even stay overnight. There has been an increase in excursions to the north in the past year.'
Among the CTO's strategic plans to target the problem is the suggestion that casinos be built in the South.
'We are talking about casinos of good quality and prestige,' said Photiou. Responding to AKEL deputy Spyros Evagorou, the CTO Head admitted it was not up to the organisation to decide whether to erect casinos or not. 'The Cabinet has asked us to carry out a related study, which is in its final stages of completion.'
Committee head Aristos Chrysostomou of DIKO, along with deputies Zacharias Koulias and Antigoni Papadopoulou of DIKO, Lefteris Christoforou and Ionas Nicolaou of DISY, Evagorou and Sotiroulla Charalambous of AKEL and Marinos Sizopoulos of EDEK, all congratulated the CTO management on the excellent results of last year and the effectiveness of the organisation's strategy so far.
As Head of the House Commerce Committee, Lefteris Christoforou mentioned that the CTO remains in close contact with Parliament and keeps the committees informed on how the plan is proceeding. | 
