Brits ‘in the dark’ over travel rules

  Mar 2, 2021 9:51 am Ibrar Younas 4131
TOURISM bosses and expat groups have expressed “concern” over a “lack of strategic planning and marketing” to attract British holidaymakers to North Cyprus.

Brits ‘in the dark’ over travel rules

Taken from this week's issue

 

The concerns were raised as reports in the UK media said that there has been a 600 per cent surge in bookings by Britons for summer holidays abroad after UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson revealed in his lockdown exit plan that foreign holidays could be allowed from May 17 onwards.

Airlines EasyJet, Ryanair, Tui and online travel company Thomas Cook reported a jump in bookings to destinations including Turkey, South Cyprus, Spain and Greece. 

Expat groups have complained about the “lack of information” over whether or not a Covid-19 vaccine certificate or “passport” will be needed for travel to the TRNC in the coming months.

The issue was raised as the European Commission expressed “caution” on Thursday over the unilateral action taken by some member states in imposing vaccine certificate requirements for international travel.

Speaking to Cyprus Today, British Residents Society (BRS) chairman Peter Wilkins said: “We have not yet been informed by the government as to whether or not there will be a requirement for a vaccine ‘passport’ or certificate. 

“My own view is that there are thousands of families who want to come home to North Cyprus or want to visit the country for tourism, but there is a lack of information over what requirements are being planned, and when they will be enforced, following the end of lockdown.

“We also do not know what the quarantine situation will be for people who have received a [Covid-19] vaccination. This is important for the economy of the country.”

The Cyprus Turkish Travel Agents’ Initiative said that there is a “lack of planning” for the tourism sector by the government. “We have been abandoned and are helpless,” a statement said. “The sector has been left to die.”

Cyprus Turkish Travel Agents’ Union (Kıtsab) head Orhan Tolun told this newspaper: “An urgent meeting is needed between the Health Ministry and Kıtsab officials to discuss plans for opening up the country to tourism.

“All other airlines in the world and other countries, including our biggest tourism market, the UK, have announced that they intend to resume flights, and bookings in the UK have surged by 600 per cent. 

“Where is North Cyprus? Are we proactively marketing? What plans have been made about the conditions that will be enforced to accept tourists into the country? 

“Our travel agents cannot even answer basic questions on what the requirements will be for people wishing to visit [the TRNC], such as whether or not a vaccine ‘passport’ is needed.

“We do not even know which hotels will be used for quarantine, and which hotels will be for tourism. All this should have been sorted out by now. 

“The tourism sector is our locomotive sector. But because of internal political issues, our ‘busy’ politicians have not been able to plan ahead.”



Comments

  • John Galpin
    John Galpin
    The advice in Cyprus Today only last week for UK citizens not to travel via the South is hardly an encouragement. Its substantially less convenient, longer and costly to travel via Turkey. Perhaps in the relevant minister could lobbly a Turkish airline to run a daily service which stopped as necessary in Turkey but then flew on to Ercan without through passengers having to disembark. It could be attractive to passengers and an opportunity for the airline. Such a service used to exist in the form of Cyprus Turkish Airlines but that ceased some 15 years ago. It was usually heavily used.
    3 years ago