Tourist arrivals to Cyprus fell by 30% in March due to the war in the Middle East, Vice President of the Association of Cyprus Travel & Tourism Agents (ACTTA), Christos Christou, has said, adding that arrivals were also significantly lower in the second half of April and May.
He was speaking at a press conference of the Association in Nicosia on the occasion of the upcoming TRAVEL EXPO CYPRUS 2026 Exhibition.
Responding to a question, Christou said that some airlines have reduced their flights for the summer because they are affected by the events in the Middle East.
Referring to the reservations of Cypriots for the summer, ACTTA Vice President noted that “at the moment we are seeing increased interest.” He explained that there was a decrease in bookings at the start of the war between the US, Israel and Iran and especially after the downing of the Iranian drone on the British bases in Akrotiri. “There was a freeze then, but in recent days and especially now with the exhibition, we expect even more interest to develop and we expect that all the positions we have taken will be filled,” he added.
In relation to tourist arrivals in Cyprus, Christou said that “inbound tourism is currently suffering”, noting that in March a 30% decrease was recorded compared to the 10% increase that was estimated to have existed before the war. The first fortnight of April went “relatively well” due to Catholic and Orthodox Easter, he said. “The second fortnight of April shows a significant decrease, as does May and this year’s season will certainly be significantly affected,” he stressed.
Referring to the TRAVEL EXPO CYPRUS 2026 exhibition, the Vice President of ACTTA said that it will be held on 17-19 April at the State Fair in Nicosia.
The representative of the Deputy Ministry of Tourism, Maria Socratous, said that the exhibition is the only tourism exhibition held in Cyprus and is constantly being upgraded with the participation of foreign exhibitors and the promotion of modern and innovative forms of tourism, such as the various sectors of special interest.
“The promotion of special interests is fully consistent with the goals set by the Deputy Ministry of Tourism and the related actions we are implementing,” she noted.
On her part, Athena Sfakouri, Director of the Greek National Tourism Organisation (GNTO) in Cyprus, pointed out that Greece and Cyprus are not simply two cooperating destinations, but are connected by strong ties that are also reflected in tourism. Noting that Cyprus recorded approximately 4.5 million tourists in 2025 and Greece exceeded 36 million, she said that over 500,000 Cypriots visit Greece every year, while this trend remains increasing in Europe.
Responding to a question about Greek tourists in Cyprus, Sfakouri said that more and more Greeks are visiting Cyprus, expressing the belief that the number of Greek visitors will increase significantly if some cooperation is developed either in the air or in the ferry connection between the two countries. “However, there is also a willingness from the Greek Ministry of Tourism in this direction,” she concluded.
(Source: CNA)
