Cyprus tourism arrivals forecast to end year 5% below 2025 levels

Troulloi, Cyprus. Cyprus’ tourism downturn is expected to ease further by the end of the year, with arrivals forecast to finish around 5 per cent below 2025 levels, Tourism Deputy Minister Kostas Koumis said.

Latest arrivals data

Figures from the Statistical Service of Cyprus (Cystat) showed that tourist arrivals reached 2,820,649 between January and August, down 7 per cent from the same period in 2025.

The decline improved from 8 per cent during the first seven months of the year.

Impact of flight disruption

Speaking at the inauguration of new cycling routes in Troulloi, Aradippou, Koumis said January and February had each set records for their respective months.

“We had the best January and the best February we have ever had,” he said, before pointing to a sharp change in March, when disruption in the Middle East affected air travel to and from Cyprus.

According to Koumis, around 70 per cent of flight programmes serving Cyprus were cancelled indefinitely overnight. He described the situation as one of the most serious crises the tourism sector had faced in decades.

March and April were particularly difficult as uncertainty over flights affected visitor numbers and resulted in a weaker spring, he said.

Efforts to maintain connectivity

The government and the Tourism Deputy Ministry focused on preserving air connectivity, pressing airlines to maintain Cyprus schedules and working with tour operators and organisers specialising in niche tourism to keep the island in their programmes.

Several months later, Koumis said the effort had produced results. “Looking back, we can say that we succeeded,” he said.

During the first four months of the year, the industry faced a decline of around 18 per cent, Koumis said. By the end of July, the gap had narrowed to 8 per cent, before falling to 7 per cent in the latest August figures.