Hotel occupancy rates across Cyprus have been at 85 per cent so far this month, according to Hotels’ Association (Pasyxe) chairman Thanos Michaelides.

Michaelides told the Cyprus News Agency (CNA) on Thursday that the British October half-term school holidays contributed to the high occupancy rates and added that tourist arrivals in Cyprus would now be “limited” between November and March.

He said hotel prices should be reduced during the winter and added that it is “not yet clear” how many hotels will remain open through the winter.

Additionally, he expressed disappointment that while there may be “enough” beds available in winter for forthcoming tourist arrivals, there is “not enough variety in the type of beds”.

“A tourist destination like Cyprus must have three-star, four-star, and five-star small and large hotels. Needs may be covered numerically, but the point is that tourists must have the option of choosing [the type of accommodation in which they wish to stay],” he said.

He added, “by having more hotels open in the winter, we will have a better March and April which are the starting months of the summer season and a better November, which is the end of the summer, so the industry will begin to be more profitable.”

To this end, he said “ways must be found” for it to be feasible for hotel employees to be employed all year round. He said this would give hotel employees better job stability, and to ensure their skills are not lost.

“It is necessary to change the programme, to announce it to the tourist markets, so travel agents know Cyprus will have more hotels open in the winter season. It takes time to build a flow of tourists in the winter,” he added.