Speaking to state radio, Paralimni Municipality Mayor Theodoros Pyrillis said that the arrival of the tourists from Austria to Protaras – who will mostly be pensioners that are members of a political party – will be in groups.

Protaras falls under the jurisdiction of the Paralimni Municipality.

“The first group of around 1,500 people will arrive on Wednesday (March 29) with the remaining groups that will arrive to comprise of around 1,800 people,” he said.

“The groups will stay around a week in Cyprus. The hotels in Protaras usually start picking up business after April 15 but with these arrivals, we expect our all the hotels in Protaras to be packed by the April 5 or 6.”

“That is obviously great news for us and for Cyprus’ tourism industry. Getting them here was due to a big effort start from one year ago. The Paralimni Municipality will be hosting special events, or two-hour shows, every Wednesday to honour our guests.”

Cyprus is hoping for a record year in arrivals and Pyrillis says it is imperative that the local authorities give the tourists the right impression so that they can spread the word back in their own countries.

“We need to give the tourists the right image and the right memories of their visit here. This is so important to sustaining and even building on our image as the best tourism destination.”

“One of the things that we were asked constantly is about the safety because that is what foreign visitors are most concerned about. That is why I need to also thank the Police hierarchy as they have ensured a strong presence in the area.”

Source: InCyprus