Cyprus: Tourist Flow in Ayia Napa Drops by 30-40%, Signs of Recovery Emerge
In Cyprus, there is a reported decline in tourist flow by 30-40% due to the war in Iran. A Euronews crew visited Ayia Napa, where the lack of tourists is noticeable. Local business owners report a significant decrease in guest numbers compared to last year.
Jeremy Wilks, Ayia Napa, Euronews: "The sun is shining, the temperature is around 20 degrees Celsius, shops are open, but tourists are lacking. Locals have told us that the visitor flow has significantly decreased compared to last year's figures".
The tourism situation in Ayia Napa has drastically changed compared to last year's record season.
Sukhan Samnidze, manager of Rent Yachts: "Usually at this time of year, there is a lot of activity on boats, in hotels, and restaurants. Last year, all hotels were fully booked. This year, the figures are down by 30-40%".
The mayor of Ayia Napa, Christos Zannettou, emphasized that the situation in the Middle East has caused significant damage, but tourists are beginning to realize that Cyprus is a safe destination, contributing to recovery.
Christos Zannettou: "2025 has become the best tourist season for Cyprus since 2019. We are observing recovery, and interest in bookings seems to be rising".
Tourists arriving in Cyprus appear to be enjoying the sun and beauty of the island, despite global tensions.
Philipp, a tourist from Poland: "We decided to come here some time ago. We had several options, but what really convinced us was the warm weather and sunshine, not to mention the picturesque landscapes that inspired us to paint a few watercolors as souvenirs".
However, some tourists remain aware of the current global situation.
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Klaus, a tourist from Germany: "We really like it here. Unfortunately, the global situation is somewhat tense right now, but we hope for peace worldwide as soon as possible".
A statement from the operator of Cypriot airports indicated a 16% decrease in arriving passengers in April compared to April 2025 (approximately minus 95,000 passengers). The average aircraft occupancy was 76%, down from 83% during the same period last year.
Regarding the summer season (April to October), airlines have made some adjustments to their schedules. Despite an expansion of flight schedules planned for September, overall capacity has decreased by a maximum of 5%—about 600,000 seats. The total number of passengers during this period is expected to decrease by approximately 9%, or about 450,000 arrivals.
However, there are encouraging signs. Over the past two weeks (since April 20), the occupancy rates of incoming flights have improved to between 80% and 85%. Key tourist markets, such as the UK and Poland, are showing particularly high results, with occupancy exceeding 90%.
Cyprus remains well-connected to other countries: 54 airlines connect the island to 165 destinations in 42 countries. Notably, most recent adjustments mainly concern reducing the frequency of weekly flights rather than cancellations.
Preliminary data for May shows high activity in key markets: an average of 30 flights per day from the UK with a load factor of 92%, about 20 flights per day from Israel with a load factor of 60%, 9 flights per day from Poland with a load factor of 93%, and 8 flights per day from Germany with a load factor of 86%.
