Cyprus tourism has returned to stability, says deputy minister

Cyprus sees tourism recovery after difficult springCyprus’ tourism sector has returned to a stable trajectory despite June tourist arrivals declining by 1.7 per cent, Deputy Minister of Tourism Kostas Koumis said on Friday, following the release of the latest figures from the Cyprus Statistical Service (Cystat). The Cystat data showed that 489,965 tourists visited Cyprus in June 2026, compared with 498,527 in the same month last year. For the January to June period, tourist arrivals totalled 1,656,015, representing a decline of 10.1 per cent from 1,843,013 during the corresponding period of 2025. Commenting on the figures, Koumis said the June performance was “satisfactory under the circumstances”, arguing that it confirmed the country’s tourism industry had returned to a stable course. He added that the 1.7 per cent decline in arrivals compared with June 2025 also showed that the weaker performances recorded in March and April, which had been affected by the conflict in the Middle East, now belonged to the past. “It also confirms that the actions taken by the deputy ministry, together with the entire tourism industry, to manage the extraordinary situation our country’s tourism sector faced from March 1 onwards have clearly produced improved results,” he said. Koumis also described the first-half performance as acceptable despite the year-on-year decline. He pointed out that arrivals during the first six months of 2026 were 10.1 per cent lower than in the corresponding period of 2025, but were 0.2 per cent higher than during the same period of 2024. “If we take into account the very significant losses recorded during March and April, which heavily influence any analysis, the first-half performance should also be considered satisfactory,” Koumis said. “At the same time, a window of hope is opening for a further reduction in the overall decline for the current year,” he added. The deputy minister said the government was looking beyond the headline figures to identify where additional support may be needed. “As a government, and as the competent deputy ministry, we are certainly not stopping at simply reading the numbers,” Koumis said. “A thorough analysis shows that a number of geographical markets have been affected and still require careful support to ensure their successful and uninterrupted development in the coming years,” he added. According to the Cystat figures, the United Kingdom remained Cyprus’ largest tourism market in June, accounting for 33.0 per cent of arrivals with 161,913 visitors. Looking ahead, Koumis said the government would continue planning in cooperation with the tourism industry, with particular emphasis on next year. “We are continuing to work hard on planning for the coming years, with next year naturally at the centre of our efforts, in cooperation with the country’s tourism industry,” he said. “Our ultimate objective remains the continuation of our collective effort to transform Cyprus into a sustainable, digitally smart and accessible destination for everyone,” Koumis added.