It was February 1960, and Cyprus was bracing for a tourism surge that would change the island’s fortunes — and its friendships — for decades to come.
Just a year earlier, around 4,000 Israeli tourists had visited the island.
But plans were already underway to double that figure, with 3,000 new arrivals expected under a workers’ holiday scheme run by Histadrut, Israel’s powerful trade union federation.
The scheme, which gave Israeli workers ten-day breaks by the sea or in the hills of their own country, was now expanding abroad — and Cyprus was first on the list.
The Director of the Histadrut Tourist Office was reportedly en route to Nicosia to seal the deal.
Back then, Israeli tourists were officially allowed to bring £142 worth of spending money, but most bought extra currency at a modest premium to enjoy shopping and entertainment beyond the basics.
Cypriot businesses were quick to notice — and quicker to adapt.
Much of the buzz was driven by publicity campaigns that painted Cyprus as a warm, welcoming escape just a short hop from Tel Aviv.
And with the island’s own tourism infrastructure still in its infancy, the arrival of thousands of Israeli visitors marked a turning point — not just in numbers, but in mindset.
Today, as Cyprus marks the 66th anniversary of that pivotal moment, the 1960 tourism push is remembered as the start of a long and fruitful relationship — one that helped shape the island’s modern hospitality industry and brought two Mediterranean neighbours closer than ever.