Tourism industry fully staffed with expedited work permits for summer

With third country nationals receiving their work permits earlier through expedited procedures, the tourism industry is fully staffed and ready for the summer wave of tourists.

Labour Minister Yiannis Panayiotou said over 95 per cent of applications for the tourism industry had already been examined.

“Being fully staffed in view of the summer period has been secured,” he said.

Speaking after a meeting with representatives of the tourism industry, Panayiotou noted that the length of procedures had been shortened from over five to less than two months.

By the end of May this year, a total of 4,146 new permits had been issued, which confirmed labour ministry projections for 4,000-6,000 new permits.

Panayiotou said upgrades and modernisation, along with labour-market-related bilateral agreements with third countries, meant that by the end of 2024 “the procedures will be even faster.”

The minister assured that “constructive cooperation” with the social partners would continue for the growth of the economy and social cohesion.

He also cited statistical service data showing that unemployment was dropping, while salaries were following “an upward trend”.

“The local human resources are not sufficient to cover the total additional labour needs, which makes it necessary to utilise workers from abroad,” he said.

Deputy Tourism Minister Costas Koumis, who attended the meeting, said a lot of progress had been made in the labour aspect of tourism.

Solutions, he said, can be found in the open market.

Koumis noted that increased needs in staff emanated from the rise in the tourist influx over the past decade.

Last year, he said, Cyprus had recorded record income, as well as a 20 per cent increase in arrivals, and that this year was expected to be around the same levels.

Chairman of the Cyprus Hotel Association (Pasyxe) Thanos Michaelides referred to a significant improvement in procedures for working permits in the hotel industry.

President of the Cyprus Tourist Enterprises Association (Stek) Akis Vavlitis said the aim was never to replace the Cypriot employees in hotels with third country workers.

He explained that after the pandemic, staff in Europe and America left the tourist industry for other sectors, which made it necessary to employ staff from third countries.

Both Michaelides and Vavlitis expressed hope that permit procedures would be made even faster.