Travel agency

More than 100 Turkish hoteliers and tourism agencies flocked to the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) in Dubai this week as Türkiye seeks to attract more holidaymakers from the Middle Eastern countries.

The Cyprus Travel and Tourism Agents Association (ACΤA) and Display Art Plc orchestrated a resounding success with the 25th Travel Expo Cyprus, held last weekend at the prestigious Cyprus State Fairgrounds.

Decades ago, your vacation most likely began with a visit to a travel agent, who relied on a combination of expertise and connections to find the best deals on plane tickets, hotels, tours and more. Since then, the internet has turned most of us into our own travel agents, and artificial intelligence software is making research and self-booking even easier.

Cypriots are packing their luggage to travel abroad, taking advantage of the festive season. As the bookings made to the association of travel agents (ACTA) show for December and generally all of 2023, it will be a record year for trips by Cypriots to foreign countries.

Air traffic in Greece from August 28 to October 22 is expected by the European Organization for the Safety of Air Navigation, commonly known as Eurocontrol, to be 10% to 30% higher than in 2022, due to the extension of the tourism season as more travelers opt for holidays outside the hottest months of the year.

The Managing Director and owner of the Canaves Oia Santorini hotel Markos Haidemenos has won the international 'Hotelier of the Year' award at the 35th 'Virtuoso Travel Week' held in Las Vegas this August.

This is the first time a representative of a Greek company wins the award, further cementing Greece as a global tourist destination.

The presidential election slated for a second round at the end of May is causing uncertainties in the tourism industry.

Sales are slow at the travel agencies, tour operators cannot make arrangements with airline companies due to uncertainties, people from the industry said.

The Eid al-Fitr holiday is giving a boost to Türkiye's tourism activity as bookings by holidaymakers rise 40 to 45 percent this year compared with last year.

The Eid marks the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. The Eid holiday starts on April 21 and ends on April 23, but families are merging a short school break and Eid to go on a long nine-day vacation.

Online travel agencies take the cake

Increased interest in charter programs for Christmas and New Year, according to tour operators. However, tourists are sensitive to all restrictive measures and many of the registrations are at the last minute.