Cyprus is a safe destination for holidays, tourism and investment, Christodoulides says

President Nikos Christodoulides has sought to reassure tourists and investors that Cyprus remains a safe destination, as hotel booking cancellations reached 25 to 30 per cent in some districts following the drone strike on RAF Akrotiri and the US-led war against Iran.

In a statement posted on X to accompany an interview with money-tourism.gr, Christodoulides said 2024 was a record year for both tourist arrivals and revenue, followed by an even stronger 2025, and expressed confidence that 2026 would also be a strong year. He pointed to tourism’s contribution of approximately 14 per cent of GDP and cited economic growth of 3.8 per cent and unemployment below 5 per cent as evidence of the island’s resilience and stability.

The statement came as Cyprus’s tourism sector grappled with the fallout from the 1 March drone strike on the British base at Akrotiri carried out during the broader US-led war against Iran. The strike, and subsequent security alarms at the British Bases, prompted a wave of flight cancellations and travel advisory upgrades from the United States and other governments.

Thanos Michailides, president of the Cyprus Hotels Association (PASYXE), told Phileleftheros the biggest impact had been felt in Limassol and Paphos, where year-round hotels recorded immediate cancellations linked to flight disruptions. He said it was too early to assess the full damage. “Tourism is sensitive, but it tends to recover relatively quickly,” he said, adding that the timing — the start of the summer season — left room for a rebound if conditions stabilise.

Cancellations were sharper in the free district of Famagusta, where bookings for March dropped by 25 to 30 per cent across the 17 hotels currently open in Ayia Napa and Protaras, according to Panagiotis Konstantinou, president of PASYXE Famagusta. Most cancellations came from the United Kingdom and Central European countries. “The main reason is the coverage the whole issue has received locally and internationally. In that kind of climate, nobody thinks about travelling to a destination where there are safety concerns,” Konstantinou said.

April has also seen some cancellations, though Konstantinou described the impact as manageable and said all hotels in the area are expected to open normally next month. Campaigns are being planned with the Deputy Ministry of Tourism to restore visitor confidence.

The Famagusta Tourism Development and Promotion Company urged calm, warning against what it called “unjustified dramatisation of the situation in relation to the risks Cyprus may face,” and said it does not expect current cancellations to significantly affect the summer season.

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