Paphos hotel occupancy expected to reach 85-90% in August

Paphos, Cyprus. Hotel occupancy in the Paphos district is expected to reach between 85 and 90 per cent in August, according to Paphos hoteliers association president Evripides Loizides. He said falling room prices and weaker autumn bookings continued to weigh on the sector.

August demand

Speaking to the Cyprus News Agency, Loizides said demand would be particularly strong around the August 15 holiday, traditionally one of the busiest summer periods for hotels, tourist accommodation and restaurants in the district.

He expressed cautious optimism about August, while noting the growing influence of last-minute reservations.

Consumers were delaying holiday decisions and seeking the best possible prices, he said, as higher living costs and financial pressure prompted travellers to book shortly before departure.

July recovery

The stronger August outlook follows a more difficult July, when hotel occupancy was around 10 per cent below July 2025 despite positive tourist traffic.

Loizides said this represented an improvement from May and June, when year-on-year losses had reached approximately 15 per cent and caused concern within the hotel industry.

He said the July performance indicated that the Paphos tourism market had gradually begun to recover, although it had not returned to last year’s levels. The August 15 period was expected to provide an important boost after several months of weaker occupancy and pressure on prices.

Autumn outlook

Loizides estimated that September occupancy currently stood between 75 and 80 per cent, about 15 per cent lower than last year.

He said there were no substantial indications of a significant reversal and that conditions were expected to become more difficult in October.

The weaker autumn outlook was of particular concern to tourism professionals, as extending Cyprus’ tourism season beyond the traditional summer months remains a long-standing objective.