Kostas Koumis, the undersecretary for tourism, said the decline in Cyprus’ tourism was limited to 8% over the first seven months of the year, with a 5% drop expected by year’s end.
In remarks published by the newspaper Fileleftheros, Koumis said 2026 had begun well for the island’s tourism sector, with January and February ranking as the best months in the industry’s history.
However, he said the war involving Iran, which began March 1, altered conditions and hurt tourism.
Koumis said 70% of flight programs to and from Cyprus were canceled overnight and indefinitely following that development, which he said drove the decline in tourism during the first four months of the year to about 18%.
He said the subsequent recovery stemmed from contacts with airlines, travel agencies and other partner organizations.
Despite the improvement, the report said, the government’s year-end forecast still points to an overall decline of about 5%.
