The data shows a steady and gradual recovery in tourist flows, Deputy Minister of Tourism, Kostas Koumis has stated on, noting that the information emerging on the course of tourism must be evaluated calmly and without hasty conclusions.
Speaking after the 19 May Cabinet meeting, Koumis said that it was "absolutely expected" that the developments of the previous months would have an impact on tourist traffic, noting that this "also happened in other destinations due to geopolitical developments."
As he said, "it is also understandable to make a comparison with the previous year", he recalled, however, that "2025 was a record year for Cypriot tourism", noting that "the comparison is made with an extremely high bar."
He stressed that "what matters is not a single snapshot of the moment, but the overall picture," adding that "flight schedules are operating normally, the tourist season is underway and the data shows a steady and gradual recovery in tourist flows."
At the same time, he noted that the Deputy Ministry of Tourism is monitoring the situation "closely in collaboration with all tourism industry stakeholders," with the aim of supporting Cyprus's potential as a "quality, safe and reliable destination."
"We are not ignoring the difficulties, but the data does not justify great pessimism," he said, adding that "Cyprus tourism has demonstrated resilience, adaptability and a strong international position."
Koumis also mentioned that "2026 also began with the best omens," as the months of January and February, before external developments, "were recorded as the best in the history of tourism in our country."
When asked whether any measures will be taken to attract tourists, the Deputy Minister of Tourism stated that "since 1 March, when tensions began in the wider Middle East region, the Deputy Ministry of Tourism has been monitoring events minute by minute and took specific measures very early on."
He clarified that the Deputy Ministry took "measures to maintain the country's good air connectivity and strengthen the working relationship with our country's strategic partners."
He also added that "actions to promote our country abroad have been intensified."
"We expect that all of this will prove beneficial for the tourism economy over the course of the year," he noted.
Koumis also mentioned that Cyprus as a tourist destination "receives visitors from more than 40 countries," noting, however, that "the geopolitical tensions in general in the Middle East region do not favour the setting" for additional visitors from distant countries.
"The whole situation is ongoing and as the Deputy Ministry of Tourism, we remain cautiously optimistic about the normalisation of the sector over the course of the year," he said.
When asked if there is a decrease in arrivals from specific markets, the Deputy Minister of Tourism responded that "a specific decrease is being recorded from some countries."
As he explained in conclusion, this was "to some extent expected, as over the last three years Cypriot tourism has been steadily increasing and, for many, even unrealistically increasing."
(Source: InBusinessNews)
