Though the allure of the typical sun and sea package is strong, operators report that customers are getting more adventurous.
Consequently, the seven-night beach break is becoming less common, with an increasing number of activity-based holidays being booked instead.
Operators have responded to this trend by diversifying into niche markets and offering a broader range of activities.
“The standard package tour has been broken down into more diverse elements,” said Cyprus Tourism Organisation director Orestis Rossides.
“The larger operators are increasingly offering niche products, especially as they take over more specialist operators,” he added.
Argo Holidays managing director Mathilde Robert said: “In winter, we can’t compete with the big boys, so our activities have to be a bit different from the norm.”
As well as the familiar golfing, diving and walking holidays, Argo offers seven-night line dancing breaks at the four-star Imperial Beach Hotel in Paphos, which lead in at £419 – proof indeed that there really is a niche holiday for everybody.
Weddings
Weddings and honeymoons have long been a staple of Cyprus’ tourist market. The island is the legendary birthplace of Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love, and features in a number of operators’ dedicated wedding brochures.
Whether a customer opts for a church wedding or a civil service, make sure they know the legal requirements for a wedding abroad.
These differ from country to country but in Cyprus the couple must have spent at least five days on the island prior to the wedding date. They also need their full passport, birth certificate and an affidavit from a UK solicitor that proves they are free to marry.
Divorcees wishing to re-marry need their original divorce certificate.
Argo offers wedding breaks to the St George Golf and Beach Hotel in Paphos, which incorporates the St George Church in its grounds. A 14-night break departing May 17, 2000, starts at £649.
Wedding fees are an extra cost which, with the exception of a £150 administration charge, are paid for in resort. Costs include a £189 special licence, £250 church fee, £15 declaration of oath – a total of £604.
Weddings at the St George are typically held in the late afternoon when the weather is cooler.
Cyprair offers a wedding package for £305, including administration fees, flowers, photos and limousine transfers. The summer lead-in for seven nights’ bed and breakfast at the four-star Avanti Hotel in Paphos is £458 per person.
Cyplon’s summer 2000 brochure is the first to feature traditional village weddings, where, after the ceremony, the wedding moves into the streets and the whole village is invited to join in.
Cyplon’s lead-in is £1703 per couple. The price includes fourteen nights’ accommodation in a traditional village house in Tochni, plus flights from Gatwick and all administrative costs.
Diving
Cyprus offers a range of diving opportunities to suit beginner divers upwards. In the main resort of Paphos, there is a choice of over 40 dive sites including the Zenobia ferry wreck – classed as one of the 10 best wrecks in the world – as well as ancient shipwrecks, Roman remains and a variety of sealife.
Sea conditions are not particularly challenging – there are virtually no tides or currents and the average summer temperature is a comfortably warm 82C. Diving shops are also considerably cheaper in Cyprus than in the UK – some offer discounts of up to 45%. Sunvil offers a number of products through the local diving operators, CyDive and Latchi Diving. One-morning introductory courses with CyDive cost £33, rising to £220 for a Professional Association of Diving Instructors open-water diving qualification. For qualified divers, five dives with all gear cost £104. All diving courses are bookable in advance from the UK as extras on any Sunvil Holiday.
Argo offers diving through another local operator, Dive-In Cyprus. New for summer 2000, a number of options are available, from dedicated packages for kids to two and four-day PADI open-water diving qualification courses.