Bookings for Cyprus hotels improved in June compared to previous months, according to the President of the Cyprus Hotel Association (Pasyxe), Thanos Michaelides, who, however, also points out that the tourism market is still moving at lower levels than usual for the season.
As he told CNA, traffic in June is noticeably better than in March, April and May. Despite the improvement, the usual levels of June have not yet been reached, with the situation being characterised as comparatively better than in the previous period.
He noted that there is an upward trend in the flow of reservations, although they are still below normal levels.
Regarding occupancy rates, the Pasyxe President said that the picture varies significantly from district to district and from hotel to hotel. In the firstrict of Free Famagusta, hotel occupancy rates in June average 60%, while in Paphos they reach approximately 70%, recording a comparatively smaller decrease than last year. Michaelides recalled that under normal conditions, occupancy rates in the corresponding period last year ranged around 90%.
Regarding Limassol, he noted that the district is in a comparatively better position than other regions, as it also benefits from business tourism. The supply of beds is more limited, which contributes to maintaining better occupancy rates. Nevertheless, Limassol is also reporting lower occupancy rates compared to previous years, although to a lesser extent compared to other districts.
Michaelides pointed out that for hotels to be profitable, high occupancy rates are required. As he explained, the profitability of hotel units is evaluated on an annual basis, however, in practice, the main tourist activity is limited to approximately six months a year, which makes it crucial to achieve high occupancy rates during the tourist season.
Regarding tourism markets, he noted that the British market continues to be the most important source of tourists for Cyprus, maintaining its lead in arrivals, while positive messages are also being recorded from the Israeli market, which has begun to show mobility again, he concluded.
Referring to the overall picture of this year, Michaelides described 2026 as a difficult year for the hotel sector, underlining that the tourism industry has gone through quite difficult periods from March until recently. As he said, efforts are focused on maintaining interest in Cyprus and reducing the impacts caused by the adverse conditions, with the aim of saving as much of the tourist year as possible until the end of the year. However, as he noted, the development of the situation remains unpredictable.
Michaelides expressed the hope that after the end of the crisis in Iran, there will be a further improvement in demand for holidays in Cyprus and in the flow of bookings, clarifying however that so far there are no concrete indications confirming this prospect. At the same time, he hoped that the latest developments will contribute to an increase in bookings in the coming months, especially in July, August and September.
(Source: CNA)
