CYPRUS TOURISM Organisation (CTO) general director Phoebe Katsouris yesterday rubbished recent reports claiming the CTO’s ‘Love Cyprus’ advertising campaign has been suspended while an appeals board reviews an unsuccessful tenders bid.

Claims suggested the campaign would go on hiatus until the protest, which was filed by an advertising company that lost its bid to design the creative materials, is examined by the CTO’s appeals board.

The ‘Love Cyprus’ campaign is tasked with promoting the island as a tourist destination abroad. If the campaign were suspended, there would be no promotion of Cyprus overseas until the board reached a decision. But Katsouris says the campaign has not and will not be placed on hiatus during the investigation.

The law stipulates that the appeals board must reach a decision on the appeal within one month, said Katsouris.

Once the board reaches a decision, the CTO will award a new contract to a new company, which will then create new creative materials, such as photos and video footage, for the campaign to use in its promotions.

Katsouris did confirm that the creation and dissemination of the new material will be delayed, but the delay “doesn’t mean the campaign will be interrupted”.

It will continue with the existing creative materials until new materials are produced, she said.

“The campaign has not been suspended,” she continued. “There will be a delay in hiring our new partner who will design the new creative material.”

Katsouris struck an optimistic tone on the situation, saying  the CTO “is going to take further the campaign ‘Love Cyprus,’ is going to take it to a new stage, and we have to do that through the appropriate international company through a public tender.”

When asked to comment on why the losing company has appealed the CTO’s tenders decision, Katsouris offered no explanation, saying it is a legal matter.

Companies that apply for tenders “have every right to appeal and this is a case of an appeal by an unsuccessful tender,” said Katsouris. “We have to provide enough time for the appeals board to properly examine this. It is a matter of process and a matter of time,” she added.