Major tour operators plan to offer more seats to Cyprus next year, raising the prospect of more arrivals from Britain, the island’s biggest tourism market, Deputy Minister of Tourism Kostas Koumis said on Wednesday.
Speaking in London after meetings at the World Travel Market (WTM), one of the world’s largest travel trade fairs, Koumis said a seventh airline would soon join the six that already link Cyprus with 18 British cities. He described his talks with Cyprus’s strategic partners in the British market as very encouraging.
Koumis warned, however, that 2027 would be a difficult year for international tourism, as expected rises in air fares may affect consumers’ decisions when planning their holidays. He nonetheless expected Cypriot tourism to meet the challenge without significant losses.
Despite the uncertainty in the tourism market after the drone strike on the British base at Akrotiri on 1 March, Cypriot tourism had limited its losses significantly this season, he told reporters, with arrivals down 5.6 per cent on the previous year.
Airlines
Hermes Airports, the operator of Cyprus’s airports, said airlines at Routes World 2026, which it attended, also intend to expand their schedules to the island next year.
Its contacts with airlines highlighted the pressure on the industry, mainly from rising fuel costs, which affect both demand and profitability, the company said in a statement. Despite these challenges, it added, Cyprus’s outlook remains positive.
Higher fuel costs for airlines remain a source of uncertainty for next season and are expected to play a role in the coming months, depending on how the war in the Middle East develops.
Booking habits
Hermes also pointed to a change in how passengers book, with the gap between booking and travel now down to three to four weeks. The trend, seen at many destinations worldwide, makes it harder for airlines to plan flights and take operational decisions, the company said.
Fluctuating demand, together with the need to promote Cyprus more strongly in certain markets, continues to affect the viability of some routes, it added.
