Panayiotis Rougalas
According to the latest Traveller Survey, Cyprus brought in €304.2 million in tourism revenue this April, marking a 39.9% increase compared to April 2024, when revenue stood at €217.4 million.
From January to April 2025, total tourism revenue reached €582.5 million, up 32.2% from the same period last year (€440.7 million), the Statistical Service reported.
It’s a shame that a country with such wonderful produce is serving up junk in the very areas that are supposed to showcase Cyprus to the world.
Spending per tourist is also up: the average visitor spent €726.42 in April 2025, compared to €651.69 in April 2024, an increase of 11.5%. British tourists, who made up 36.3% of all arrivals in April, spent an average of €89.33 per day. Israeli tourists, the second-largest group at 15.2%, spent significantly more, €140.08 per day. German tourists (7.1% of the market) spent €103.23 per day.
Great weather, stunning coastlines… but what about the food?
Cyprus may have the sun and the sea, but sadly, it still lacks quality dining options for tourists. Not expensive food, just good food. And good doesn’t have to mean pricey.
My grandmother, for example, makes spaghetti with what she calls “fake” sauce, and it’s delicious. It's cheap but full of flavor. The problem in many tourist-heavy areas of Cyprus is that while there are a few hidden gem restaurants, most places serve, pardon the expression, junk. Food with no identity, no hint of Cypriot character. Often they’re poor imitations of foreign dishes made by people who probably don’t even know how the original is supposed to taste.
This issue is especially acute in the most heavily touristed districts. Let me be clear: there are exceptions, and some places truly shine. But they are rare.
Tourists don’t spend much at restaurants, and tourism stakeholders often complain about this. The streets are full of visitors, but most of them buy food from supermarkets or bakeries and opt for quick, inexpensive meals. We criticize them for showing up to the beach with bags full of supermarket snacks, claiming they’re not supporting local businesses. But can we really blame them?
If a tourist goes to a restaurant once or twice and ends up with overpriced, tasteless food, why would they keep trying? They’re here on vacation, not on a treasure hunt for the one decent place to eat.
It’s a shame that a country with such wonderful produce is serving up junk in the very areas that are supposed to showcase Cyprus to the world. Ask yourself, would you go back to a country where, during your 5-6 day holiday, you only ate well once?
Time to step up
So how do we fix this? I believe the Deputy Ministry of Tourism shares some responsibility. I’m confident that the people working there have good taste and sound judgment. It's time for them to take real action, to nudge, inspire, or even pressure business owners to improve the food they’re offering.
Because only then will Cyprus start attracting high-quality tourists and keep them coming back.
If we keep serving “junk,” we shouldn’t be surprised if the only tourists who return are the ones who expect it.
*This op-ed was translated from its Greek original
