Representatives of the Cyprus Hotel Association (PASYXE) recently met with technocrats from the Troika to discuss tourist trends and pertinent issues in the industry.

The Sunrise Hotels Group has added the Gardens Hotel in Protaras to the chain, which opened in May 2015 and lies only 200 metres from the popular Sunrise beach.

Inspectors from the Troika recently began their seventh review of the economic adjustment programme, with the focus this time being the supervisory controls of the banking system and the financial sector in general.

The state and civil servants union Pasydy recently agreed on a series of key elements of a public service reform.

Gulf Air announced it is slashing fares on its six weekly flights to and from Larnaca for early bird travelers booking flights this in July across the airline’s Middle East and Asia network for travel in November.

Tourism arrivals could see a 5% rise by the end of the year, Cyprus Tourism Organisation (CTO) chief Angelos Loizou said after a meeting with troika representatives, the Cyprus News Agency reported.

The cabinet has approved a new plan to help the long-term unemployed, it was announced recently.

The agreement reached recently in Brussels between Greece and its international creditors was a difficult one and constitutes a clear improvement on the initial requirements, President Nicos Anastasiades says.

Cyprus’ seventh quarterly review of its economic adjustment programme agreed with international creditors in April 2013 as part of a €10-billion bailout loan recently kicked off.

The trade deficit decreased by €117.5m in the period January – April 2015, and stood at €925.3m compared to €1.042,8m in the corresponding period of 2014, figures released by the Statistical Service of Cyprus showed recently.