A number of overseas visitors were reportedly turned away by officials at Larnaca Airport earlier this week over their reservations at specific hotels in the north.

As reported by Phileleftheros on Wednesday, the incident happened on Monday night when 51 foreigners, 35 from Israel and the remainder from Lebanon and Serbia, arrived at Larnaca Airport.

Acting on a new Migration Department circular, the officials allegedly refused to allow anyone with reservations at a hotel in the north that had been owned and operated by a Greek Cypriot before 1974 to go through.

Phileleftheros also said that, according to its sources, the Foreign Ministry had also supplied the airport authorities with a list of the hotels as they were named before 1974 and what name they operate under now.

Those refused entry included two Lebanese nationals and a number of Serbians while the 35 visitors from Israel were allowed through after they complained to their embassy in Nicosia, the paper said.

The specific policy, meanwhile, has reportedly also been suspended for 15 days to be re-examined and to inform embassy and travel agents of the development.

If and when the policy continues, travellers to Cyprus will be warned about it in advance, Phileleftheros said.

Source