The tourism sector is on the verge of recovery, Deputy Minister of Tourism Costas Koumis said in a written statement issued today, expressing cautious optimism that we will have positive results in the second half of 2026.
The Deputy Minister attributed the slowdown recorded in the tourism sector during the months of March and April, following the publication of the Statistical Service's data on tourism revenues for March, to geopolitical developments in the Middle East.
Mr. Koumis said that 2026 began with positive prospects for Cypriot tourism, noting that tourist arrivals increased by 8,5% in January and by 9,5% in February compared to the corresponding period last year.
As he stated, the performance of the first two months of the year was an indication that "Cyprus tourism was heading for a third consecutive tourism record."
However, he noted that the numerical performance announced for the months of March and April was significantly affected by developments in the wider region. According to the Deputy Minister, the tension that erupted in the Middle East during March resulted in a significant reduction in flight schedules to and from Cyprus for approximately a week.
At the same time, he mentioned that the temporary closure of airports in neighboring countries, such as Israel and Jordan, also had a negative impact on our country.
Concluding, he stated that the Government is working in coordination with all the stakeholders involved with the aim of "Cyprus Tourism having the best possible results for the year 2026".
“It is with satisfaction that we see the tourism sector leading to recovery,” he said. “We remain cautiously optimistic that in the second half of 2026 we will have positive results,” he concluded.
Source: KYPE
