Operators have expanded their self-catering offers to Cyprus for this summer by adding apartments, villas with pools and village houses across the island.
Airglobe has introduced rural villas in the northwest around Coral Bay, Polis, Latchi and Peyia – a part of the island featured extensively by villa specialists Meon Villas and Thomson-owned OSL.
Meon has doubled its Cyprus villa tally to 12. Marketing director Susan Williams said: “They mirror our villas in Corfu. As a result, Cyprus probably gained most during the Kosovo crisis.”
The relaunched OSL programme features villas and apartments in Paphos, Coral Bay, Peyia, Latchi and Polis. Director Kim Hampson said distribution would be largely through independent agents.
Amathus has increased its apartment range in Limassol, Larnaca, Polis and Latchi for summer 2000. Sales and marketing manager Alison Jago said:”The additions have enabled us to expand our market.
“They are especially popular with families and as a result, we’ve seen our main market come down in age from the over-55s to couples and families in the mid-30s.”
Unijet has boosted its apartment selection in Paphos for 2000, as well as adding all-inclusive options at the Pablo Napa Beach in Ayia Napa and the Adalis Bay in Paphos.
General manager John Riley said:”Cyprus has expanded from being predominantly three and four-star hotels to offering the full complement of accommodation.”
Villas and village houses remain core Cyprus products for Sunvil and managing director Noel Josephides says bookings are up 40%. A seven-day village inn flydrive has been added to the programme.
Cyplon and Cadogan also report solid summer 2000 bookings. Cyplon has added more traditional village houses for this year summer and expanded its coverage of activities such as horse riding and scuba diving.
Cadogan, which reversed its decision to drop Cyprus this year after a pledge of support from the Cyprus Tourism Organisation, is seeing a 9% increase, according to managing director Gary David.
“We decided to give Cyprus one last try and have doubled our featured four and five-star hotels to 16,” he said. Two Ayia Napa hotels – the Aeneas and Adams Beach – are among the newcomers.
Style Holidays has cut prices of villa and other self-catering holidays by up to £141 per person and added wedding packages in the second edition of its Cyprus programme.
Marketing manager John Hayes said: “We’ve repriced downwards due to our late launch and because of our high capacity – we’re aiming for 5,000 in our first year.”
Olympic Holidays includes Pissouri and Agros for the first time in its second-edition 2000 brochure, adding the Columbia Beach at Pissouri and Rodon Mount at Agros, both three-star properties.
National sales manager Mark Mitchell said: “Ayia Napa is head and shoulders above the rest for early bookings but we still have peak availability in the resort.”
Libra and its sister Priceright brand have expanded regional departures to include Aberdeen, Cardiff and Norwich; this year’s combined sales target for Cyprus is 115,000.
Sales and marketing manager Kim Wonnacott said:”The Ayia Napa Fantasy Island programme on Channel Four has helped our Ayia Napa sales and it’s sold out in July and August. But families are still booking hotel accommodation on the outskirts of the resort.”
Airtours has noted increased demand for off-the-beaten track cultural holidays this summer, according to Andrew Burgess, head of long-haul and eastern Mediterranean.
“The demand is for the traditional Cyprus product, especially villages like Platres and Tochni,” he said.
New flydrives include Nicosia, the resorts and Troodos Mountains.
Weddings are proving to be First Choice’s big Cyprus seller for 2000. Marketing manager summer sun/winter sun Tim Williamson said: “Cyprus is close but still exotic enough as a wedding destination.”
Cyprair and Argo Holidays are also pushing their wedding credentials.
Cyprair manager George Spyrou said: “Paphos staged 3,000 overseas weddings last year and really isn’t that expensive.”
If you have time, a trip to the capital city of Nicosia makes for a welcome diversion from the beach. About 45mins’ drive from Larnaca airport, Nicosia is the world’s only divided city, the northern half having been occupied since the Turkish occupation of 1974.
Whatever your political beliefs, remember that this is a sensitive situation for Cypriots. Although a marked UNpresence in the city brings to mind the bad old days of the Berlin Wall, Nicosians don’t draw attention to it.
This small city has enough attractions on the Cypriot side to fill a day’s sightseeing, from historic buildings and churches, to modern shops, and laid-back pavement cafes. Though visitors with a non-Cypriot passport can cross the ‘green line’ and spend a day visiting the northern side, strict rules apply.
The only point of entry is beside the old Ledra Palace hotel on Marko Drakos Avenue. You can only enter between the hours of 8am and 1pm, and you have to be back by 5pm. You are not supposed to shop from the occupied area, though the guards are likely to turn a blind eye to this.
I was too late to cross and tried to persuade the guard to let me over, on account that Ihad never been before. He told me he hadn’t been over since 1974, so Ididn’t push my luck.
Cyprus operator additions
Airglobe: new ‘Hidden Cyprus’ self-catering villas in Polis, Latchi, Peyia and Coral Bay lead in at £351 per person for seven nights, based on eight sharing four-bedroom villa.
Anemone Holidays: seven nights’ half-board at the three-star Droushia Heights Hotel between Paphos and Polis in late May, £431. Free upgrade to full-board in June and September. Walking routes recommended.
Cadogan: seven nights with breakfast in a studio suite at the Anassa in Latchi, Cyprus’ newest five-star hotel, in August, £1,476. Half-board supplement, £34 a day.
Cosmos: 14 nights’ self-catering in the Ayios Elias Holiday Village in Protaras (four adults sharing one-bedroom apartment) in early June, £479 a person.
First Choice: 11 nights with breakfast at the three-star King Richard Hotel, Limassol, in mid-July, £589. Child price, £259.
Golden Sun: 14 nights’ self-catering at the Andries Hotel Apartments in Paphos, in early August, £459 per person, based on three sharing studio or four sharing one-bedroom apartment.
JMC: 14 nights’ all-inclusive holiday at the three-star Sancta Napa in Ayia Napa for a family of four (two adults and two children under 12) in late July/early August, £2,686.
Olympic Holidays: seven nights’ self-catering in a renovated village house at Omodhos in the Troodos Mountains (four sharing two-bedroom house) in mid-September, £335 a person. Includes hire car.
Style Holidays: seven nights’ self-catering at the Villa Goudi in Polis in early August, £499 per person (seven sharing a three-bedroom villa).