Cyprus Tourism Soars To Record Heights: What You Need To Know About 2026’s Explosive Growth!

Published on October 24, 2025

In 2025, Cyprus’s tourism assemblage is connected way to erstwhile again execute record-breaking results, and nan Deputy Minister of Tourism, Kostas Koumis, expressed optimism that this upward inclination will proceed into 2026. During a chat successful nan Parliamentary Committee connected Finance regarding nan 2026 budget, Koumis highlighted nan affirmative effect of tourism connected nan country’s system and nan efforts made by nan Deputy Ministry to support this success.

Tourism’s Impact connected Cyprus’ Economic Growth

Tourism has go a important contributor to Cyprus’s economical growth. By 2025, nan assemblage is expected to lend 14% of nan country’s GDP, an summation from 13.3% successful 2024. This surge successful tourism is attributed to nan increasing number of visitors, pinch arrivals betwixt January and September 2025 up by 10.3% compared to nan erstwhile twelvemonth and 41% higher than successful nan aforesaid play 3 years ago.

Koumis besides pointed retired that nan first 9 months of 2025 marked nan champion play successful nan history of Cyprus’s tourism. The state knowledgeable nan largest summation successful nan European Union successful position of stays successful licensed accommodations, further underlining nan sector’s success. Moreover, Cyprus classed first among Mediterranean countries successful position of maturation successful tourism revenue, pinch an awesome 21.3% summation successful gross during nan first half of 2025.

Plans for Sustained Growth successful 2026

Looking up to 2026, nan Deputy Ministry of Tourism is focused connected stabilizing tourism astatine precocious levels while aiming to heighten nan sector’s publication to Cyprus’s economical development. The amended National Tourism Strategy is expected to beryllium approved soon, and a scope of actions are planned to beforehand Cyprus abroad. These initiatives will besides reside nan modernization of nan licensing and operating model wrong nan tourism sector, ensuring that it remains competitory connected nan world stage.

Koumis emphasized that, contempt nan success, tourism’s maturation cannot beryllium taken for granted. He stressed nan value of ongoing efforts to support nan country’s competitiveness. With a attraction connected sustainable development, nan Deputy Ministry intends to heighten nan wide tourism acquisition while respecting section communities.

A Focus connected Sustainable Tourism Development

The Deputy Ministry is besides actively engaged successful promoting a greenish modulation wrong nan tourism sector. Plans person been made to money studies connected nan biology impacts of tourism arsenic portion of nan National Tourism Strategy. These efforts will beryllium important successful ensuring that tourism maturation remains sustainable and environmentally responsible. Furthermore, a modern exemplary for nan improvement and guidance of nan tourism assemblage is being pursued, which will support semipermanent maturation while minimizing adverse effects connected nan environment.

The Ministry’s efforts see a blend of accepted and integer promotional activities to showcase Cyprus’s unsocial attractions and advantages. These initiatives will target world markets, ensuring that Cyprus remains a apical prime for tourists. Additionally, upgrading tourism acquisition and improving nan wide visitant acquisition are cardinal components of nan strategy, which intends to build a beardown instauration for early tourism successful Cyprus.

Tourism Budget for 2026

For 2026, nan Deputy Ministry’s fund has been group astatine €74.6 million. Of this, €27.7 cardinal (37.1%) will beryllium allocated to accusation campaigns and promotional activities aimed astatine expanding Cyprus’s visibility arsenic a premier tourer destination. Another €14.9 cardinal (20%) will spell toward subsidy schemes focused connected improving nan value of nan tourism product, while €19.5 cardinal (25%) will beryllium utilized for operational expenses. Among these operational expenses, €6.1 cardinal (8.2%) will beryllium allocated for nan hosting of nan Cyprus Presidency of nan Council of nan European Union.

The remaining fund will beryllium utilized for different basal activities, pinch a attraction connected ensuring that Cyprus’s tourism assemblage continues to thrive and lend importantly to nan economy.

Addressing Air Connectivity and Foreign Markets

During nan discussion, location was a notable attraction connected Cyprus’s aerial connectivity, particularly pinch nan upcoming Cyprus EU Presidency. DISY MP Savia Orphanidou raised concerns astir entree for overseas missions, peculiarly regarding aerial links to Brussels. In response, Koumis highlighted Cyprus’s caller improvements successful aerial connectivity. According to information from nan Aviation Council International, Cyprus classed 2nd successful Europe for aerial connectivity improvements betwixt 2019 and 2025, and first successful position of improvements from 2024 to 2025. These developments are mostly attributed to nan summation of nonstop flights from European and Middle Eastern airports.

However, Koumis acknowledged that location are still gaps, peculiarly successful nan nonstop relationship betwixt Larnaca Airport and Brussels. He mentioned that a tender process is presently underway to reside this rumor and amended connections for nan Cyprus Presidency.

Exploring New Tourist Markets

Another area of attraction is attracting visitors from China, a increasing marketplace for world tourism. MP Costas Costa of AKEL inquired astir steps being taken to pull Chinese visitors to Cyprus. In response, Koumis noted that while a nonstop aerial nexus pinch China is not yet feasible owed to commercialized reasons, nan Deputy Ministry is investing successful this marketplace pinch nan purpose of securing a semipermanent beingness there.

Efforts are besides being made to fortify Cyprus’s position successful nan Belgian and Dutch markets, peculiarly successful ray of nan Cyprus Presidency of nan EU Council. This presents an opportunity to re-engage pinch these markets, which are important sources of visitors for nan country.

The Role of Foreign Promotion Offices

The chat besides touched upon nan domiciled of overseas promotion offices successful Cyprus’s tourism strategy. MP Giannakis Gavriel from AKEL expressed concerns astir nan weakening of these offices successful caller years. In response, nan Permanent Secretary of nan Deputy Ministry, Costas Constantinou, clarified that though section unit person been removed from these offices, regular coordination pinch cardinal guidance continues. This ensures that Cyprus’s promotional activities overseas stay beardown and effective.

Looking Ahead: Strengthening Tourism for nan Future

As nan Deputy Minister concluded nan session, he reiterated nan value of maintaining Cyprus’s competitory separator successful nan tourism industry. The eventual extremity is to create a sustainable and high-quality tourism assemblage that will proceed to thrive successful nan future. By focusing connected sustainable practices, improving nan visitant experience, and ensuring strategical promotion, Cyprus is positioning itself for semipermanent success.