travel report

18
April 24, 2016 • SUNDAY MAIL
Travel
Although new destinations are becoming available,
Athens remains popular, especially for short trips
A growing choice
of destinations
W
ith more airlines
flying into and out
of the island, outbound tourism in
Cyprus is changing. While
it is a long time since there
were few flights beyond the
main markets of Greece and
the UK, there are now direct
flights to 49 destinations
from Larnaca and an additional 27 from Paphos.
And the fact that many of
these new flights are operated by budget airlines means
more people are able to take
advantage. “People travel a
lot, in winter and summer as
we are an island,” Akis Kelepeshis, executive president
of Top Kinisis travel said,
“now they take advantage of
low budget flights and other
flights depending on the cost
and the cost for hotels.
“In winter they make more
short trips and in the summer they will go for around
two weeks. Around 300,000
travel twice or three times
per year,” Kelepeshis added.
The bulk of people still go to
Greece, even more than used
to traditionally, although over
the years the total amount of
trips by Cypriots remained
roughly the same overall at
around 1,200,000 per year.
Whereas in 2013 360,027 travelled to Greece, the numbers
swelled to 466,086 in 2015.
This is something that is reflected in the routes offered
by airlines.
“We fly to Bucharest, Athens, Thessaloniki and Constanta in Romania. Every
With the opening of new routes and
airlines there is more choice than ever
before for people in Cyprus looking to get
off the island. Annette Chrysostomou
looks at the changing landscape
Blue Air is increasing its
presence in Cyprus
flight to Athens is full,” Pavlos Ioannou from Blue Air,
a relative newcomer to the
island said, adding “mostly
they stay in Athens and
Thessaloniki between three
days and a week.”
Indeed, a profiling survey
conducted for Hermes airports shows a preference for
certain budget airlines by
Cypriots. According to the
survey, 83 per cent of travellers on outbound flights by
Blue Air are Cypriot nationals. In addition, 64 per cent
of outbound flyers with Ryan
Air are from Cyprus, and only
36 per cent are from other
countries.
This doesn’t hold true to
all budget airlines, however.
Thomson Airlines for one is
frequented more by foreign
nationals, with Cypriots using up a mere 12 per cent of
seats. This is in line with the
fact that less Cypriots now
travel to the UK. The numbers have dwindled from
311,119 in 2012 to 186,857 in
2015.
“There are now less students in the UK,” Kelepeshis
explained, “and so less families go to visit them. There
are also less expats living
here than before who used
to go back and forth.”
Cypriots are also keen on
travel to other places. “For
long weekends, people tended to travel mainly to Athens and Thessaloniki,” Astero Efstathiou from Louis
Tours said. “There were not
many destinations available. Now, there is a bigger
choice and people can travel
further and get good deals,
especially if they book well
in advance.”
The changes have also affected travel agents. “The
budget airlines mean that
internet sales have soared,”
Efstathiou said, “whereas
a few years back people
booked hotels on the internet, now they book the whole
journey. This gives people
more freedom, though it affects us.”
Cobalt Air, scheduled to
start operations from June,
is set to roll out entirely new
routes to Europe, Asia and
the Middle East using an
initial fleet of five Airbus jetliners. Their intended niche
market includes China.
Transavia is another low
budget airline which is taking advantage of a niche.
They offer two weekly direct flights to Amsterdam,
formerly served by Cyprus
Airways.
But while the public are
taking up the cheap flights
offered by the new airlines,
not everybody is fond of
budget airlines.
“After the closure of Cyprus Airways, other airlines
took advantage of the situation and gave people no
choice and only had crappy
seats so it’s good that there
are now other choices,” frequent flyer Andreas Georgiou commented.
He recently flew from Athens with Emirates. “The
flight was less than an hour,”
he said, “I couldn’t believe it
when the captain announced
we were going to land in 10
minutes.” It was not only
fast, he recalls, but also very
comfortable. “The economy
class was better than the
first class of other airlines,”
he added. Emirates also offer
flights to Dubai and Malta.
“It’s OK (to fly with budget
airlines) if you book ahead
and you choose the dates
carefully,” Anna Lantidou,
who recently used a budget
airline to spend an extended weekend in Belgium,
summed it up “if you are
careful you get really good
deals. If you just want to get
somewhere and you don’t
care about food and taking a
lot of luggage it’s fine.”
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SUNDAY MAIL • April 24, 2016
Travel
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April 24, 2016 • SUNDAY MAIL
Travel
A look into Cobalt, Cyprus’
new airline
Cabin crew at the press conference held by the
airline last week
Promising a low cost model
with
ith a wide range of destinations,
Cobalt is due to start operating an
impressive timetable by July
C
YPRUS’ economy is
evidently
recovering. And with various
unfortunate circumstances plaguing nearby
competitive tourist destinations, all activity so far indicates that 2016 will be one
of the greatest years for the
island’s tourism sector. The
gap left by the fall of Cyprus
Airways and the rise in demand for travel to Cyprus
has generated great interest for the aviation industry.
Several existing airlines compete for market share, while
new ones have sprung to fill
the void. One such newcomer is Cobalt, whose chairman
is Gregory Diacou.
Apart from Diacou, who
represents Cypriot ownership and authority, Cobalt has announced that
they have hired almost 100
that Cobalt, a Cypriot company after all, strives to
retain a Cypriot identity.
There are however obvious
foreign components in the
company. The airline’s management team is a group of
aviation experts previously
involved in consulting and
managing low-cost carriers
in much larger markets like
Russia and Hong Kong. For
them, Cobalt is a chance to
capitalise on an opportunity identified through their
industry experience. Finally,
to complete the formula of
Cobalt’s formation, the company is backed by a large
Chinese corporation, based
in Hong Kong. “A Fortune
500 company” as quoted by
the Cobalt team.
Cobalt, being a privately
owned airline, plans to avoid
the costly mistakes made
‘A fairly priced, healthy airline
should allow Cypriot residents
to travel to popular destinations
without having to break the bank.
Should the airline succeed, the
island would have much to gain’
former Cyprus Airways employees to occupy cabin,
crew and other important
positions – including a large
number of pilots. It is clear
by Cyprus Airways, while
adopting all that was positive. On top of employing the
same cabin crew that maintained a very proud and un-
blemished safety record for
the former national carrier,
Cobalt looks to take on that
title on itself. ‘Cyprus’ new
national carrier’ is the vision
promoted by the chairman.
The company intends to establish the same emotional
connection that many Cypriots previously had with
Cyprus Airways.
There is certainly a great
deal of promise shown so
far, with the carrier set to
commence with a fleet of
five Airbus aircraft, namely
A320 and A321. According
to the airline’s plans, by
July 2016, Cobalt will be flying from Larnaca to Athens,
Thessaloniki,
Heraklion,
Chania, London, Manchester, East Midlands, Glasgow, Cardiff, Dublin, Paris,
Beirut, Tel Aviv and Tehran,
with more destinations to
be added by October 2016.
The airline’s future plans
include long-haul flights to
the Far East and America.
With regards to regulation,
the company’s CEO, Andrew Pyne, said “we expect
to secure the AOC license
any time soon.” According
to sources, the company’s
first plane has recently arrived, which was one of the
last remaining obstacles
for their license to be approved.
Cobalt’s tagline ‘The Journey is the Destination’,
hints that the airline may
hold some extra perks for
passengers. Yet, Cobalt has
declared that they will be
operating a low-cost model.
This seems like the leading
choice for modern success-
ful airlines, as we can see a
trend in which for most, air
travel becomes less about
comfort and luxury, and
more about the comfort of
our pocket. Ryanair for example, is set to overtake
the Lufthansa Group as
the biggest airline in Europe this year. In terms of
extra benefits that Cobalt
flyers will have, the CEO
has mentioned, “innovation
and technology will be involved” but avoided going
into detail just yet, in order
to “protect the company’s
secrets from the competition.” Moreover, Pyne added
that “we will treat passengers as our customers and
not as a commodity” hinting that Cobalt’s customers
will be treated more agreeably than those of competing low-cost carriers.
The benefit of a Cyprusbased low-cost carrier is
clear to most Cypriots. It’s
choice. It will add choice to
a currently disappointing
set of options for travelers
with discouraging prices
to consider. A fairly priced,
healthy airline should allow
Cypriot residents to travel
to popular destinations
without having to break
the bank. Should the airline
succeed, the island would
have much to gain, including macroeconomic growth.
Pyne characteristically refused to mention the exact
size the of the foreign investment for Cobalt, but noted
“it is a mega investment for
Cyprus, certainly the first of
its size since the 2013 bailin…. potentially hundreds
of millions of Euros”.
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SUNDAY MAIL • April 24, 2016
Travel
22
April 24, 2016 • SUNDAY MAIL
Travel
What to do in Amsterdam
With its picturesque
canal network, rich
history and vibrant
cultural scene, the capital
of the Netherlands is
one of the world’s most
unique city destinations
T
HERE’S a never ending selection of things
to do in Amsterdam
in any weather – so
whether you’re visiting for
the weekend or for a fortnight, here’s your essential
checklist of the best Amsterdam attractions and
unmissable experiences in
the ‘Venice of the North’.
Hop on your bike
There are over 800,000 bicycles in Amsterdam. That’s
more bikes than people! Cycling in Amsterdam is a way
of life, made easier by the
city’s unbeatable network
of cycle routes and flat landscape. Amsterdam regularly
comes out on top in lists
of the world’s most cyclefriendly cities, and there’s
no finer way to explore the
city’s streets, canals and
attractions than by pedal
power. Cycling in Amsterdam is safe, enjoyable and
invigorating - so join the locals and hop on your bike.
Soak up some culture
in Museumplein
Home to the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum and the Stedelijk
Museum of Modern Art,
Museumplein is the cultural beating heart of Amsterdam. Having recently been
renovated to a world class
standard, the leafy 19th
century district of OudZuid is an art lover’s utopia, and the open square
between
the
buildings
pulses with activity all day;
with open-air exhibitions,
markets and a large pad-
‘Venice of the North’: Amsterdam
dling pool to dip your toes
into on warmer days. In the
winter months, the square
transforms with a vast outdoor ice rink.
Take a canal cruise
Created in the 17th century to keep the sea at bay,
Amsterdam’s
UNESCO
protected canal belt is the
quintessential
picturepostcard vision of Amsterdam, and an unbelievably
pretty sight by both day
and night - when the bridges are lit up by fairy lights
and the whole area takes
on a magical feel. Floating
along the canals by guided
boat tour is a great way to
get under the fabric of the
city, and you’ll learn lots
of fascinating facts along
the way – such as why the
tilting homes along the canals are known as ‘dancing
houses’. There are many
different canal cruises to
choose from, from hop-onhop-off sightseeing tours
to atmospheric candlelit
night time cruises with
food and wine.
Visit Anne Frank House
Reflect on the atrocities
committed against the
Jewish people during World
War II at the Prinsengracht
house where diarist Anne
Frank and her family hid
from the Nazis for two
years after feeling persecution in Germany. The
front of the house is now a
thought-provoking museum but the back annex has
been preserved to give an
idea of what life was like for
Anne and the families she
A visit to the
Amsterdam
Tulip Museum
in the Jordaan
is a must
Amsterdam’s
UNESCO
protected
canal belt
hid with. Waiting times are
often lengthy; so visit early
in the morning or book online in advance to beat the
queues.
Go beer tasting at a
windmill
There are eight remaining windmills in Amsterdam, the most easy to
visit being de Gooyer in
the Oostelijke Eilanden
(Eastern Islands) neighbourhood. And this isn’t
just any windmill – for under the sails of this striking landmark is Brouwerij
‘Tij; an award winning artisan microbrewery with a
large outdoor drinking terrace and 30-minute guided
tasting tours.
Wake up and smell the
tulips
Tulips are a definitive symbol of Dutch culture, buy them at the Bloemenmarkt
Yes, they’re as clichéd as
clogs, but Tulips are a definitive symbol of Dutch
culture, and a trip to the
Netherlands wouldn’t be
complete without feasting
your eyes on these beautiful blooms. The most famous place to buy tulips
and bulbs in Amsterdam is
at the Bloemenmarkt – the
world’s only floating flower market which lines the
Singel with colourful flower stalls. If you’re visiting
Amsterdam in spring, then
take the short 20-minute
trip out to the world fa-
mous tulip fields (Bollenstreek) – stretching out
in colourful stripes across
miles of lowland fields between Harleem and Leiden. To understand more
about the Netherlands’
long love affair with Tulips,
a visit to the Amsterdam
Tulip Museum in the Jordaan is a must.
Take a day trip from
Amsterdam
If you’re in town for more
than a few days, then head
out of the city to explore
the diverse attractions of
the surrounding area. Just
a short hop from Amsterdam lies a rich landscape
of gorgeous countryside,
beaches, castles, windmills
and historic towns – all easily reachable from the city
centre. Just 20 minutes
from Amsterdam Central
by train, the picturesque
city of Haarlem overflows
with history and culture,
plus a great selection of
shops, cafes and restaurants. In the surround-
ing countryside you’ll also
find plenty of old castles,
fortified towns and ruins,
of which Muiden is one of
the most spectacular examples.
Visit a market in
Amsterdam
Whether you’re looking
to snag a bargain, try some
local delicacies or just soak
up the atmosphere, visiting
one of the many markets
in Amsterdam is a unique
and unforgettable experience. Markets selling everything from antiques to
books and artisan food to
vintage clothes are held
all over the city every day.
Some of the most popular
Amsterdam markets include the Albert Cuypmarket in De Pijp (Mon - Sat)
Westerstraat market in the
Jordaan (held on Monday
mornings), the floating
flower market on the Singel (Mon - Sat) and the
Waterlooplein flea market
(Mon – Sat) near the Rembrandt House.
23
SUNDAY MAIL • April 24, 2016
Travel
Amsterdam
from
€
75
one-way
Flights to Amsterdam are operated from Larnaca and Paphos.
Book now at
transavia.com