New hotel construction is soaring on Cyprus, which has undergone a run of record tourism years that turned around an economic crisis that had forced the government in 2013 to seek a 10-billion euro ($11.46 billion) bailout.

The growth is coming despite more interest by visitors in using short-term rentals through services such as Airbnb which the government wants to rein in.

New hotels, refurbishments and expansion projects have multiplied by eight times in the first seven months of the year, compared to the same period in 2017, The Financial Mirror reported, the increase representing one-third of the licenses for new building projects.

Hotel owners though are complaining about competition from short-term rentals and have found allies in trying to regulate them, including lawmaker Elias Myrianthous from the nationalist EDEK party who wants to protect the hotel industry.

With more than 3.6 million tourists arriving in 2017, a number set to be surpassed this year, he said Members of Parliament looking to amend a bill submitted by himself and DISY leader Averof Neophytou.

The measure now proposes that the owners apartments or condominiums on short-term rental sites must get permission from other tenants in their buildings to lease their units even for a night.
“Otherwise the flat owner will be acting against the law and will face consequences,” said Myrianthous.