Background information

Cypriot authorities have pledged to cover the holiday costs for tourists who test positive for corona virus while on holidays on the island. Random checks will be conducted on tourists upon their arrival and if tested positive the government would pay for their accommodation, medicines and food expenses for the patients themselves and their families. COVID-19 infected patients would only need to cover their return flights. With tourism activities accounting for 13% of the GDP the announcement aims to help businesses return to normality in the post-COVID-19 era.

Content of measure

In a jointly signed letter to tourist operators the Ministers for Foreign Affairs, Transportation and Tourism announced the new protocols for opening the country to tourists in the aftermath of the COVID-19 crisis. The letter aims to reassure the tourism professionals (airlines, travel operators, travel agencies, etc) and the tourists themselves about Cyprus being a safe tourism destination. As the country has managed well the recent pandemic (among those with the lowest confirmed cases), from 1 June businesses will be ready to operate normally with increased health and safety protocols in place while the airports open from 9 June.

To reassure tourists, Cypriot authorities have pledged to cover the holiday costs for those who test positive for corona virus while on holidays on the island. If random tests for COVID-19 upon the arrival of tourists are positive then the government will cover their accommodation, medicines and food expenses as well as those of their families. A 100-bed hospital would be set aside specifically for tourists who test positive while another 112 Intensive Care Units (ICU) units would become available. Additionally, 500 rooms in 'quarantine hotels' would be available for the patients' families and close relatives.

Use of measure

Tourism has a significant contribution to the country's income (13% of its GDP), empty hotel rooms, bars, archaeological sites, museums and in general idle economic activity in tourism activity would be very costly for the island. It is estimated that approximately 70% loss of the 2.6 billion of tourism income may be lost this year.

Target groups

Workers	Businesses	Citizens
Does not apply to workers	Sector specific set of companies	Does not apply to citizens

Actors and funding

Actors	Funding
National government	National funds

Social partners

Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:

	Trade unions	Employers' organisations
Role	No involvement	No involvement
Form	Not applicable	Not applicable

Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:

• No involvement
• Main level of involvement: N/A

Involvement

Social partners were not involved in the consultation process for the designing of the measure and they are not involved in the implementation and monitoring of the measure either. It is a governmental decision taken among the members of the Cabinet. The implementation of the measure lies on the hotels assigned to accommodate positive tested tourists monitored by the respective governmental departments.

Views and reactions

Social partners see the measure very positively. They believe that the measure might contribute to the attempt of the Deputy Ministry of Tourism and the tourist partners to attract more tourist during the summer season. As it is said, the measure is also a fair measure for the infected tourists by offering health care and accommodation but a way to protect the general public at the same time.

Sectors and occupations

This case is not occupation-specific.

Sources

• 26 May 2020: The letter of the Ministers (www.cna.org.cy)
• 27 May 2020: Η Κύπρος αναλαμβάνει το κόστος διαμονής και περίθαλψης τουριστών με κορονοϊ (gr.euronews.com)
• 28 May 2020: Cyprus to pay holiday costs of infected tourist (www.bbc.com)