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Cyprus

Volume 484: debated on Wednesday 21 February 1951

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Tourist Trade

21.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what he is doing to encourage the hotel and tourist trade in Cyprus.

This is primarily the concern of the Cyprus Government, whose recent activities include the provision of increased publicity, the opening of tourist information bureaux in the island, the improvement of access roads to ancient monuments, and radical reform of the hotel law and regulations. In 1950, what is believed to be a record figure of 20,000 tourists visited Cyprus, and it is estimated that they spent some £900,000.

As the tourist traffic is of the greatest importance to Cyprus, will the Minister do everything he can to encourage the building of hotels there, and facilitate British capital going to Cyprus?

Yes, Sir. I think that the change in the regulation to which I have referred makes a notable improvement in that respect.

Is the Minister aware that Cyprus is one of the finest holiday resorts in the world, and that there, at least, there is an abundance of good cheap food and drink?

Is not one of the greatest handicaps to the tourist trade of Cyprus the very heavy cost of getting there by air? Would the right hon. Gentleman consult his colleague the Minister of Civil Aviation, to see whether British European Airways could not, as an experiment, run cheap trips to Cyprus during the tourist season?

Leather Industry

22.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what steps he is taking to protect the local leather industry in Cyprus.

The Cyprus Government have helped this industry by reducing the import duty on raw hides and skins, and by exempting entirely from import duty all substances used in tanning, except sumac, which is produced locally.

Will the Minister give special consideration to the lowering of the duty on imported hides which are to be used for further manufacture in the island, because that is a matter which is felt very strongly?

That is primarily a matter for the Cyprus Government, but I will take note of it.