Cyprus tourism sector reports significant decline in March 2026

Cyprus experienced a 30.7% decline in tourist arrivals in March 2026, with the number of visitors falling to 139,198 compared to 200,736 in March 2025. This decrease follows regional geopolitical instability, including the conflict involving Iran and a reported drone strike on a British base at Akrotiri in early March. For the first quarter of 2026, total arrivals reached 407,339, marking an 8.8% drop from 446,596 in the same period of 2025. The tourism market from Israel saw the most severe impact, plummeting by 94.6%. The United Kingdom remained the primary source market with 45,763 arrivals, despite a 25.6% decrease. Travel by Cyprus residents abroad also fell by 8.8% during the same month. Tourism officials expressed concern over the volatility of future bookings and warned that the situation could impact the upcoming summer season if regional security does not stabilize.