Britain does not advise against travelling to Cyprus, the British High Commission has confirmed to In-Cyprus, clarifying its position after a number of British media outlets ran headlines in recent days suggesting the UK government was warning against travel to destinations including Cyprus, Greece and Turkey.
In a statement provided in response to a request from this publication, the High Commission said the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office updated its travel advice for all countries in the region, including the Republic of Cyprus, following the US-led war against Iran. The overall level of travel advice for Cyprus has not changed and Cyprus remains at the FCDO’s lowest warning level. Only the language was updated to reflect the broader regional escalation.
“We advise British nationals to check travel advice before travel but do not advise against travelling to Cyprus,” the statement said. “The safety of British nationals in each country and territory is our overriding concern when determining our travel advice. Our travel advice remains under constant review to ensure it reflects our latest assessment of risks to British nationals.”
The FCDO’s own published guidance on how to use its travel advice states: “Our main concern is always the safety of British nationals. We know our travel advice sometimes affects businesses and international relations. We do not let this influence our advice.”
The FCDO updated its Cyprus travel advice on 5 March, three days after the confirmed drone strike against RAF Akrotiri on 2 March. The update added language stating that terrorist attacks “cannot be ruled out” and that attacks “could be indiscriminate, including in places visited by foreign nationals.” It also noted that regional escalation “poses significant security risks and has led to travel disruption,” flagging that more than 40 flights were cancelled in a single 24-hour period as airlines cancelled or rerouted services through the Gulf.
The update prompted the Board of British Cypriots to write to the UK’s Europe Minister Stephen Doughty urging an urgent review of the advisory, warning that the wording was already causing flight and holiday cancellations with serious consequences for the island’s tourism industry. The board argued that the advisory did not reflect a balanced or proportionate assessment of the situation. “Vigilance is necessary, but the risk of terrorist activity is a global phenomenon and is not limited exclusively to the region,” the letter stated.
The position was subsequently reinforced during Doughty’s visit to Cyprus on 19 March, when the drone strike and its impact on tourism were raised directly. Doughty expressed understanding of the concerns, noting that Cyprus remains a safe destination and that UK travel advice had not changed. “There is no threat to Cyprus,” he said, clarifying that references in travel guidance are precautionary in nature and applied broadly to other countries in the region.
The clarification comes as Cyprus’s tourist industry continues to grapple with the fallout from the drone strike. Tourist cancellations rose to around 40% in its aftermath. In response, the Cypriot government announced a support package for the sector, including subsidies covering 30% of hotel workers’ wages for April.
The Cypriot government has also pushed back against what it described as exaggerated international media coverage of the security situation in Cyprus, and announced an international communications campaign aimed at reassuring tourists and investors that the island remains a safe destination. The Christodoulides administration has sought to counter the narrative, noting that most airlines have resumed full flight schedules to and from Cyprus and that bookings are gradually recovering.
Cyprus is not a party to the conflict and its civilian infrastructure and tourist areas have not been targeted, President Christodoulides has stressed. The current FCDO travel advice for Cyprus is available at gov.uk.
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