Hotels are overbooking rooms by up to eight times and then apply the ‘stop sales’ practice according to the Association of Cyprus Travel Agents (ACTA) in a letter to the Minister of Tourism, Giorgos Lakkotripis.
“The Ministry must take the necessary measures to stop this phenomenon,” wrote the president of ACTA, Dinos Kakkouras.
The practice of ‘stop sales’ is not a new phenomenon. It usually occurs when there is a high interest in bookings. It is not unusual for hotel units to presell rooms up to 150% of capacity before initiating the ‘stop sales’ policy.
Kakkouras pointed out that this practice is directed especially towards small tourist markets, but the implications are far reaching. The credibility of Cyprus as a reliable tourist destination is being questioned.
The practice of ‘no sales’ will impact the industry in a negative way.
It will be a catalyst in stagnating the flow of tourism to the island, as these small markets that are being targeted will definitely not develop, and the larger markets will look towards Cyprus with scepticism.
The president of the Cyprus Hoteliers Association, Haris Loizides, told state radio on Tuesday that “the phenomenon is an on-going one, but before we make an official announcement, we must investigate ACTA’s charges and determine the scale at which ‘stop sales’ exist”.
Foreign tourist agencies have favoured Cyprus as a destination this year as many of the traditional neighbouring destinations are deemed unsafe and dangerous.
Source: in-cyprus.com/
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