COMMENT: First-hand report on how cash-strapped Cyprus is coping
Noel Josephides, managing director of AITO tour operator and Cyprus specialist Sunvil, reports from the island on how it is coping with the economic situation and how visitors are likely to be affected.
"I have been in Cyprus for the last three days, writes Josephides. There is nothing like finding out for yourself exactly what is going on and how the current economic situation will affect our clients, and I’m extremely glad to be able to reassure potential visitors to Cyprus that they will find the normal Cypriot welcome awaiting them.
The economic bombshell that hit the island (last month) was completely unexpected and has shaken the population. However, the Cypriots have reacted in a completely different way from the Greeks. Although the damage that has been done to the local economy will take many years to repair, there has been no violence and everyone is going about their daily routines in the same way as they always have done.
The visitor will see no difference – bar, perhaps, very keen hosts, even more keen to look after their guests than normal. The hotels, cafes, restaurants and all other facilities are operating as normal. The ATMs are regularly stocked with cash and you will always be able to draw any cash you require from your UK bank account.
For the time being, some smaller enterprises prefer to be paid in cash and you should remember that you cannot leave the island with more than €1,000. If you arrive with over €1,000 of any currency and worry that you may leave, at the end of your stay, with more than that amount, then you can simply declare what you have brought in at the airport and you will be allowed to take the same amount out, plus up to €1,000 cash in any currency.
The weather is excellent and the island is at its most beautiful as I write, on April 7. It’s late evening – nearly midnight – and it is a balmy 17 degrees. During the daytime it reached a wonderful 28 degrees, complete with the blue skies and sunshine we all miss so much – very welcome indeed after the last few months of cold and inclement weather in the UK!
You will thoroughly enjoy your stay and will be assured of a very warm welcome indeed."
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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