Only a quarter of Cyprus hotels hold a full licence

Serious weaknesses in Cyprus’ system for licensing and supervising tourist accommodation are undermining efforts to upgrade the country’s tourism product, according to a new special report by the Audit Office, which found that only 23 per cent of hotels and tourist accommodation hold a full operating licence.

The report, prepared under Auditor General Andreas Papaconstantinou, paints what it describes as a worrying picture of the sector, citing shortcomings in licensing procedures...