Cyprus seeks to reassure tourists as bookings falter

Cyprus remains “among the safest countries in the world” and continues to operate as a highly competitive destination, deputy tourism minister Costas Koumis assured on Sunday.

Speaking in Peyia at the opening of the World Chess Championship, being held for the first time on the island, Koumis said the central message being conveyed abroad is that Cyprus “continues to be a very competitive tourist destination” and “extremely safe”, despite growing unease in key markets.

The reassurances come after a drone strike on British bases in Akrotiri earlier this month and a series of international reports that have linked the island to wider instability in the Middle East, prompting cancellations and slowing demand ahead of the summer season.

Government officials are now engaged in what is effectively a race to reverse what they describe as a “distorted perception”.

Tourism, a cornerstone of the economy, is already showing signs of strain.

Cancellations for March and April have reached between 40 and 50 per cent, with further losses recorded for May and bookings for the summer period progressing at a slower pace than expected.

Data cited from industry tracking sources indicated that short term rental cancellations surged sharply in the immediate aftermath of the incident before stabilising at elevated levels.

The impact follows a record year in 2025, when tourist arrivals exceeded 4.5 million and total revenues over a three-year period approached €10 billion.

The sector contributed around 14 per cent of GDP, underlining its importance and vulnerability to external shocks.

Koumis said the state has moved quickly to respond, maintaining close contact with industry stakeholders and launching an intensive campaign abroad to reinforce confidence.

“We are not in a war zone. We are hundreds of kilometres away,” he said, adding that tourism activity continues normally and that international events hosted across Cyprus demonstrate stability.

The government has also introduced targeted support measures, including a subsidy covering 30 per cent of hotel staff wages for April and additional backing for airlines to maintain connectivity with key markets.

There are also discussions around incentives to boost domestic tourism as a supplementary measure.

Industry representatives, however, remain cautious, with hotelier’s association (Pasyxe) president, Thanos Michaelides, stressing that uncertainty continues to weigh heavily on demand.

“The war in the wider region has highlighted, once again, the vulnerability of the tourism sector to external crises,” he said, adding that while current visitors report positive experiences, forward bookings remain under pressure.

Michaelides said it is too early to assess whether the government’s measures will be sufficient, with key details still unclear.

“The situation continues to be characterised by fluidity,” he said, pointing to the difficulty of making reliable forecasts for the coming months.

Koumis said coordinated action between the government and private enterprises has enabled Cyprus to adapt to past disruptions and expressed confidence that the same approach will sustain the sector this year.

“We remain optimistic for a good tourism year,” he concluded.