Ruptly
"Hospitality businesses in Nicosia and Limassol report that visitor numbers have plunged, as regional tensions reshape travel patterns and trigger cancellations across the tourism sector. Footage from Sunday shows empty hotels, idle tour buses and unusually quiet beaches, reflecting a downturn that operators say is already being felt during what should be a busy season. “Tourism has clearly decreased a lot,” said Yiannis Neophytou, an employee at M Moniatis Hotel. “If I tell you that last October and November I had more customers than now, it’s like saying my high season now became my low season, and my low season has become my high season. This shift is very noticeable.” Neophytou added that concerns from abroad are widespread, with potential visitors actively seeking reassurance. “I have received calls from Jordan, from Israel, from England, asking how safe it is to travel to Cyprus,” he said. “And I tell them very simply—my daily routine hasn’t changed at all—to show that the situation here remains normal despite what people might think.” Industry players point to perception rather than reality as a key factor behind the decline. “Travel agents treat us a bit suspiciously and that is the problem,” said Aris Aristidou, Director of Operations at Hilton Nicosia. “There is fear of a general conflict in the Middle East. Cyprus is not considered by them to be the safest place for tourists to visit, and that affects bookings.” Hotel bookings in Cyprus reportedly dropped by over 40 percent in March and April 2026. A drone strike near the British base at Akrotiri in early March triggered a massive wave of short-term rental cancellations. The impact is rippling through smaller businesses as well. “We are a small business with buses and we have been affected,” said Effi Kalli, a representative for Lambousa Tour buses. “Groups that were scheduled to come to Cyprus cancelled their trips due to their concerns about the war, so we also had to cancel those routes.” Some tourists already on the island echoed that sentiment and said the situation is normal in the country. “It’s pretty quiet here,” said visitor Barbara. “We went to Ayia Napa yesterday and it was the same. It looks like tourists are afraid to come, but I don’t see anything wrong here.” Even if the situation stabilises, recovery may take time. Industry data shows airport traffic fell by roughly 15 percent in March. April bookings have also dropped sharply, with hotel occupancy hovering between 25 and 45 percent, well down on the 60 to 70 percent seen over the same period last year. Many businesses now expect revenues to remain below 60 percent of 2025 levels, underlining the depth of the downturn driven by regional uncertainty. In March, the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) said that international visitor spending is estimated to be falling by at least US$600 million per day. The organisation noted that disruptions to air travel, traveller confidence and regional connectivity are affecting tourism demand across the wider region."
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