Cyprus tourism is facing a second and more worrying warning sign, with cancellations now extending into May after earlier losses for March and April, while summer bookings are moving at an alarmingly slow pace.
According to information obtained by Phileleftheros, the latest concern comes at a time when bookings for the summer season should normally be picking up more strongly.
Against that backdrop, tourism stakeholders are being urged to move fast to prevent further damage and send the right message about the real situation in Cyprus.
Industry professionals told Phileleftheros that the response now needs to be immediate and coordinated, with clear information reaching tour operators, airlines, travel organisers and political decision-makers.
They said a mechanism should be put in place over the next two months, starting with the President of the Republic and involving the relevant ministries, embassies, Hermes Airports, hotel operators and other stakeholders, all of whom should approach key decision-making centres.
According to the same professionals, the effort should also extend to district level and to the relevant regional tourism bodies, which should take on their own part of the information campaign.
In comments to state radio two days ago, Deputy Minister of Tourism Costas Koumis said the current priority was to change the image of Cyprus through targeted moves.
He said cooperation with a public relations firm was continuing, contacts with strategic partners inside and outside Cyprus had intensified, and market developments were being monitored continuously.
Koumis said contacts were now taking place more frequently in an effort to build a better understanding of the situation and identify ways to respond.
He added that developments would depend to a large extent on the duration and intensity of the crisis in the Middle East.
On possible support measures, the deputy minister confirmed that support for the domestic market was also being examined, with the aim of giving Cypriots incentives to choose local accommodation.
He made clear, however, that no announcements could be made at this stage because the relevant decisions were still under review.
“A very specific framework is being examined,” he said, adding that analysis would have to come before any decision was taken.
A key goal of the wider effort is to avoid losing European markets, which account for the large majority of tourists visiting Cyprus.
That task is not expected to be easy. Koumis said there was currently a negative mood among travellers.
“The current picture is substantially different from that of 2022-2023, when Cyprus mainly had to deal with the loss of the Russian and Ukrainian markets. Back then, a gap had to be covered through stronger existing partnerships, opening new markets and improving air connectivity. Today, however, beyond the loss of specific markets, there is also a second factor that is much harder to manage. We have to deal with the sentiment of millions of Europeans, as a negative climate has formed around the region, and that affects travellers’ decisions,” he said.
Koumis confirmed that Cyprus had already lost the Israeli market, as well as markets from the Arabian Peninsula.
He said the bigger issue was the broader stance of European visitors, who remain Cyprus’s main source of tourism.
As for the Israeli market, it was announced in recent days that Israeli travel company ISSTA was creating an “air bridge” between Jordan and Cyprus because of emergency restrictions on flight schedules.
Specifically, daily flights will operate from Aqaba airport in Jordan to Paphos during the Jewish Passover period, from March 30 to April 8, with the aim of covering increased demand for short trips abroad at a time when flight availability from Israel remains limited.
At the same time, easyJet chief executive Kenton Jarvis referred to ticket prices, saying fares were expected to rise towards the end of the summer when current fuel hedging contracts expire.