Cyprus’ overall tourism performance confirms that the recent crisis was managed correctly, the country’s deputy tourism minister, Kostas Koumis, told Kathimerini, adding he was troubled by the unfair criticism he received during that period.

“I think the results now speak for themselves. Given the conditions, and taking seriously into account the circumstances that had developed at the beginning of March, I would say that, yes, our country’s tourism sector recovered and once again demonstrated its resilience,” he said

He explained that “within four months, we went from a 17.9% drop in arrivals during the first four months of the year to an overall decline of 7% over the first eight months, following the release of the August figures. We have also exceeded the 2024 performance by 2.2%. I take it for granted that the year-on-year decline in arrivals will narrow further over the coming months.”

As for 2027, “there is strong interest from tour operators and airlines, and we are pleased to see that several are considering increasing their programs to Cyprus. Conditions are therefore being created for tourism in 2027 to return to 2025 levels.”

Source: Ekathimerini.com