Cyprus tourism sector recovers as international travel advisories are downgraded

Cyprus is seeing signs of stabilization in its tourism sector following the decision by the United States and the United Kingdom to downgrade their travel advisories for the island to Level 1. This revision eliminates previous insurance burdens and negative booking platform notices that had persisted since the advisories were heightened in early March 2026. Deputy Tourism Minister Costas Koumis noted that while tourist arrivals grew by 8.5% in January and 9.5% in February, the sector experienced a slowdown in March and April due to geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, including regional flight disruptions and airport closures. Industry leaders, including the Association of Cyprus Tourism Enterprises (Stek) and the Association of Cyprus Travel and Tourism Agents (Actta), expressed cautious optimism that the trend will improve as the season progresses. However, stakeholders warn that the industry is still contending with a reduction in overall flight seat capacity compared to the previous year. While total recovery remains uncertain, officials expect the sector to move toward normalization in the second half of 2026. The government continues to coordinate with tourism stakeholders to mitigate the impact of the lost months during the early spring crisis.