Nicosia, Cyprus. Cyprus’ tourism sector is returning to a more stable path after a difficult spring, Deputy Tourism Minister Kostas Koumis said on Wednesday, as May arrivals showed signs of recovery despite remaining below last year’s levels.
According to the Statistical Service, tourist arrivals in May reached about 455,000, down 4.9 per cent from May 2025 but up 8.1 per cent from May 2024.
May arrivals and five-month trend
For the first five months of 2026, arrivals were 13.3 per cent lower than in the same period of 2025, while they were almost unchanged from 2024, recording a 0.4 per cent decrease.
Koumis said the latest Cystat results for May confirmed the gradual recovery of the tourism sector in Cyprus.
Impact of spring disruption
He said what matters is that Cyprus tourism is returning to a stable trajectory, leaving behind the disruption caused in March and the weeks that followed.
Koumis said the government and the Deputy Ministry of Tourism were called on to manage an unprecedented negative situation, which he described as perhaps the most difficult in recent decades, excluding the pandemic period that paralyzed global tourism.
Factors affecting the sector
Koumis said that, in addition to the impact of geopolitical tensions, the sector was also affected by public discussion over a shortage of aviation fuel, creating added pressure at a sensitive time for the industry.
He said the government’s priority was to protect Cyprus’ air connectivity, safeguard long-term partnerships with strategic partners abroad, and preserve the island’s reputation as a safe and competitive tourist destination.
Government response
Over the past three months, the Deputy Ministry said it placed particular emphasis on protecting Cyprus’ international image, strengthening its online presence in 27 countries, hosting foreign journalists and influencers, and carrying out meetings, presentations and promotional actions abroad.
At the same time, Koumis said the ministry continued to invest in strategic partnerships as part of a broader effort to reduce the impact of the difficult spring period.
