Traditionally, the Mediterranean has resisted all-inclusive hotels, fearing they would kill off local trade.
But in Cyprus, although the total number of all-inclusive properties is still relatively small, the trend is growing.
Cyprus Tourism Organisation director Orestis Rossides said:”The all-inclusive market is an important one – there cannot be any risk of losing out to other destinations. We have to make sure the operators have something to promote on our island.”
Rossides’ fear of losing out to other countries may be misplaced. According to JMC product and planning director Alan MacLean, all-inclusives are the fastest growing market in JMC’s programme.
The operator’s 162-page all-inclusive brochure for summer 2000 dedicates eight pages to Cyprus, and features seven three and four-star properties.
Unijet also reports all-inclusives are the fastest growing part of its Cyprus programme. It offers two all-inclusive properties in winter and six in summer. General manager for inclusive tours John Riley said he would like to add up to two more by summer 2001, should the opportunity arise.
“Expansion depends on finding the right property – the hotels have to be capable of offering a quality inclusive product. This is especially difficult when the hotel is open to non-inclusive clients,” he said.
Though the concept has its detractors, few can deny the benefits all-inclusives offer for family breaks.
The thought of unlimited soft drinks and ice creams for children is often all it takes to sway the parents who are paying for the holiday.
Libra managing director Andreas Drakou bore this in mind when he introduced two inclusive properties to Libra’s summer 2000 brochure.
“These types of holiday are very popular in Cyprus, and we are thinking of introducing them to Greece. I think there is substantial demand,” he said.
The fact that tipping is not allowed in most all-inclusive resorts is also attractive from the point of view of budgeting. But many believe this takes away the service element that is key to a good holiday.
At non-inclusive properties, staff go out of their way to help guests because they know if they give good service they will get a tip. If everything is provided free, this incentive to perform well is taken away.
Cadogan offers all-inclusives to some of its destinations, but managing director Gary David stressed that the concept is not necessary in Cyprus.
“They work well where people may be worried about safety issues of food hygiene, but our clients are all well travelled and well educated, and they know there isn’t any risk in Cyprus. We don’t have any plans to offer all-inclusives there,” he said.
Clearly, not everybody is sold on the idea. Argo offered all-inclusive hotels for the first time in 1999, albeit grudgingly. Managing director Mathilde Robert said:”Regrettably, we’ve had to offer them. It was that or lose out to the majors.
“Personally, I can’t understand the appeal – the whole point of Cyprus is to get out to the tavernas and have a good time with the local people. But they’re selling like hot-cakes,” she added.
One of the main concerns over the market it that it has a negative effect on local business.
At the CTO, Orestis Rossides pointed out that he wanted to develop the all-inclusive market along the same lines as the Sandals resorts in the Caribbean, where not just food and drink is included, but also all the activities. This, he said, could involve local operators.
Sunvil managing director Noel Josephides – one of the most outspoken critics of all-inclusives – said: “There has already been a marked impact on restaurant and bar takings because of the increase in all-inclusive hotels. If local establishments cannot make money, then they will close and the whole nature of the island will change.” This, he said, is just one of the reasons why Sunvil does not feature all-inclusives.
“The concept grew up in the Caribbean where there was a security risk when clients left the boundaries of their hotel. Cyprus is one of the safest countries in the world, so the last thing we feel anyone should do is worry about staying within the confines of their hotel,” he added.
“A large part of the Cyprus experience is going out to eat in the local tavernas and meeting Cypriot people. If you want to go to a place where you only remain within a hotel, then why spend the money to fly such a long way when you can do it much closer?
“Ultimately, all-inclusives are a downmarket concept – the last word in mindless, mass-market tourism. If the island wants an upmarket image, they should not be encouraged. Those hotels that feature both all-inclusive deals so they can pander to large operators as well as ordinary clients are making a very serious mistake.”