Larnaca hotel occupancy falls 15% in July amid Middle East uncertainty

Larnaca, Cyprus. Hotel occupancy in Larnaca fell by 15 per cent in July compared with the same month last year, with the decline attributed to the conflict in the Middle East, according to Larnaca hotel association chairman Marios Polyviou.

Polyviou said uncertainty continued to affect the tourism market, while hoteliers were maintaining modest expectations for August.

July and August bookings

July closed with 15 per cent fewer hotel bookings than in July last year, Polyviou told the Cyprus News Agency on Tuesday.

Bookings for August had reached 75 per cent of hotel capacity so far, compared with 90 per cent in 2025. Polyviou said last-minute reservations could improve the figures.

Key tourism markets

Israel remains Larnaca’s largest tourism market. Flights from Israel began increasing again during the second half of July, returning to last year’s level of around 25 flights per day to Larnaca airport.

The United Kingdom is Larnaca’s second-largest market, followed by Germany, Poland and Greece.

Outlook

Polyviou said agreements between Larnaca hotels and tour operators TUI UK and Jet2 were particularly important for the coastal town and would support the local market.

He said he hoped arrivals would increase significantly in 2027, while cautioning that forecasts for September and the following months remained difficult because tourism was heavily dependent on developments in the Middle East.