How was the restaurant?

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TOURISM officials are conducting spot controls on restaurants all around the island, checking for cleanliness, uniformed waiters, clearly placed price lists and general aesthetics, though the latter is more a matter of taste, according to one tourism industry source.

The Cyprus Tourism Organisation (CTO) has been doing an island-wide campaign to check that tourism outlets are not avoiding the rules and keeping the level of services up to a high level. Restaurants in particular are being checked for their quality of services. The place has to be kept clean, hygienic, with all staff in their proper uniforms, and most importantly menu prices clearly on display.

One industry source said that the CTO inspectors were more likely to make observations to restaurant owners but if some parts (of the restaurant) were very bad they could go and take the matter further and fine them if it is necessary.

Many outlets have already been inspected and further inspections are expected to take place. The CTO also encourages customers to report any complaints they may have to the organisation so they can look into it by calling the central line on 22 691 100.

One example is, should the price on the receipt not be the same as the price on the menu, they are in trouble.

Regarding the looks of a food joint, telling an owner that black and yellow bathroom tiles with orange curtains did not make for a good restaurant could be hard to do. “In this case, it’s less about applying the law and imposing penalties but more about giving some advice,”

Also, apart from making waiters and waitresses wear uniforms, they cannot teach them how to be polite and hospitable, a problem compounded by the fact that so few Cypriots are now employed in the industry. “The most that can be done is to ask them to make sure they speak at least one international language.”

According to the last guide that CTO gave out on the tourism industry, Cyprus scored highest in the food and services sector.

Tourists’ biggest complaint was the cost of getting to and from the airport and the transport options within the cities and between different parts of the island.

Yiannakis