No Drop in Air Fares Tourism Sector Says

Members of the tourism sector are up in arms, saying that nothing has been done to reduce the price of air fares, despite government promises, Yeniduzen reports.They say that summer is just around the corner, yet most tourists coming to Cyprus use airports in south Cyprus not Ercan airport, thus seriously impacting the tourist trade in the North Cyprus.Representatives of the tourism sector say that the government needs to have a plan to develop tourism in the country. They say, however, that tourism is not on the government’s agenda Meanwhile, this year, the government only allocated one percent of the annual budget for tourism.President of the Cyprus Turkish Travel Agencies Association Orhan Tolun, stated that 80 percent of the income from the Ministry of Tourism fund is transferred to the current budget of the Ministry of Finance, the government does not have a policy on tourism, air fares have increased and advertising is done by Turkey, “How will tourism be in such an environment?” he asked. Tolun pointed out that in Turkey and south Cyprus, studies on tourism are being carried out, however, nothing is being done in North Cyprus to promote tourism.