Regional instability hits Cyprus tourism sector — minister cites high benchmark

Strong tourism performance of 2025 makes for difficult comparisons, says government Cyprus’ tourism revenue fell significantly in April 2026, when compared to the year before, according to figures released by the statistical service, with Deputy Minister of Tourism Kostas Koumis saying the decline had been expected because of the conflict in the Middle East and its impact on travel demand. Specifically, tourism revenue fell by 35.1 per cent year-on-year to €197.5 million in April 2026, down from €304.2 million in April 2025. For the first four months of 2026, tourism receipts totalled an estimated €443 million, down 23.9 per cent from €582.5 million during the corresponding period of 2025. Koumis said April 2026 represented a continuation of the difficult conditions experienced in March 2026, a period that was significantly affected by the conflict in the Middle East and its aftermath. “April was essentially a comparison between April 2025, the best April in the history of Cyprus tourism, when the sector exceeded 400,000 arrivals for the first time, and April 2026, a month affected by the conflict in the Middle East, intense negative international publicity, reduced flight schedules and other factors,” he said. Tourist arrivals fell to 303,031 in April 2026 from 418,730 in April 2025, reflecting the sharp decline in demand during the month. At the same time, average expenditure per tourist fell by 10.3 per cent to €651.77, compared with €726.42 a year earlier. Average daily spending also declined to €80.47, from €94.34 in April 2025, the statistical service added. Visitors, however, stayed slightly longer on average, with the average length of stay increasing to 8.1 days, compared with 7.7 days a year earlier, although this was insufficient to offset lower arrivals and weaker daily spending. The United Kingdom remained Cyprus’ largest tourism market, accounting for 39.2 per cent of all arrivals during April. However, British visitor numbers fell to 118,742, down from 151,883 in April 2025. Koumis also pointed to what he described as the ‘jet fuel crisis’, which emerged during April and fuelled uncertainty across the European tourism sector. “The so-called jet fuel crisis came to the surface during April, with negative discussion surrounding aircraft fuel, particularly regarding fuel reserves in Europe, creating turbulence across the European tourism economy, increasing uncertainty and slowing the pace of bookings across Europe,” the deputy minister said. Koumis further stated that the government and the Deputy Ministry of Tourism acted promptly to limit losses and reverse the negative sentiment surrounding Cyprus as a destination. “Dozens of foreign journalists were hosted in Cyprus to communicate the true image of the destination, which is characterised solely by safety,” he said. He added that “influencers were also invited” while the the deputy ministry “strengthened its promotional activities abroad“, with “special emphasis being placed on reinforcing existing strategic partnerships”. Furthermore, Koumis said the measures subsequently delivered positive results for the sector. “The improvement in tourism performance during the months that followed demonstrates that the measures taken had a positive effect, but what satisfies us most is the return of the tourism sector to a stable course,” he said. He also pointed out that comparing April 2026 with April 2024 showed a smaller decline of 9.2 per cent. Koumis added that April 2025 tourism revenue had increased by 39.9 per cent compared with both 2024 and 2023, making last year’s performance an exceptionally strong benchmark against which April 2026 was measured.