Cyprus recorded its highest-ever September tourist arrivals in 2026, Deputy Minister of Tourism Kostas Koumis said, despite a decline in visitor numbers over the first nine months of the year.
Presenting the Deputy Ministry’s proposed €59.4 million budget for 2027 to the House Finance Committee on Friday, 23 October, Koumis said arrivals between January and September were 5.6% below the same period in 2025.
However, they remained 4.1% higher than in 2024 and 8.5% above 2023 levels.
Tourism revenue over the nine-month period fell by 7% year-on-year, he said, while remaining 9.2% above 2024 and 13.8% higher than in 2023.
Average expenditure per tourist reached €785, compared with €778 in 2025, while daily spending rose from €94.70 to €97.70.
Koumis described 2026 as an exceptionally difficult year for the sector. He attributed sharp falls in arrivals during March and April to the drone strike on RAF Akrotiri on 1 March and the negative publicity that followed.
He said the Deputy Ministry worked with tour operators, airlines and other partners to restore suspended flight schedules, limiting the reduction in summer airline seats to 3.3%.
Provided the remaining months followed a similar pattern to last year, he estimated that full-year tourism revenue could finish between 3% and 4% lower.
Around 62% of the proposed 2027 budget is earmarked for promoting Cyprus and improving its tourism offering. Plans include promotional campaigns, participation in tourism fairs and incentive schemes worth €4.4 million.
Priorities include strengthening Cyprus’s international profile and spreading tourism’s benefits to rural, mountainous and remote communities. Planned projects include promotional material produced using artificial intelligence and a tourist guide developed with the Cyprus University of Technology.
Koumis said a clearer picture of demand for 2027 would emerge following meetings at the World Travel Market in London in early November. He identified high airfares as a challenge and expected last-minute bookings to remain a feature of the market.
Four prospective investors had expressed interest in the Paphos marina project, with a final decision expected in 2027, he added. Paralimni marina remained under development.
“The success of the tourism sector can never be taken for granted. This was demonstrated again this year,” Koumis said.
Source: Cyprus News Agency (CNA).
