Newsroom
Cyprus’ tourism industry may be smashing records, but its biggest headache hasn’t gone away: most of the visitors still come when the sun is blazing.
According to Kathimerini’s Dorita Yiannakou, industry leaders say the island’s long-standing dependence on the “sun and sea” formula keeps tourist traffic heavily concentrated in summer, leaving hotels, restaurants, and tour operators scrambling to stay afloat in the off-season. While the number of winter tourists has risen in recent years, the growth is nowhere near enough to solve the problem of seasonality.
Haris Papacharalambous, president of the Association of Cyprus Travel Agents, says it’s frustrating that after 30 years of talking about the same challenges, seasonality, flight connections, and upgrading the tourism product, Cyprus still hasn’t nailed a year-round strategy. “We need action, not just talk about extending the season,” he said, pointing to a lack of winter-focused campaigns and investments.
The sector is also battling staff shortages, from tour guides to bus drivers, as well as high operating costs and competition from the island’s occupied north. Service quality, experts say, is uneven across the island and often falls short of what rival destinations offer.
There are bright spots. Budget airlines have improved connectivity, making it easier for visitors to hop to Cyprus and use it as a base to explore the region. The loss of Russian tourists has pushed Cyprus to court other markets like France and Germany, which has paid off.
Tourism officials argue that Cyprus has the climate, infrastructure, and niche offerings, such as cultural, nature, and sports tourism, to make winter a viable season. But it would take coordinated planning, targeted marketing, and a push to upgrade both infrastructure and service quality.
The Deputy Ministry of Tourism’s 2025 plan targets six priorities, from balancing tourism across regions and seasons to boosting its economic value and making Cyprus a “smart” destination through technology and data. Sustainability is also high on the agenda, along with modernizing tourism laws and deepening cooperation with private sector partners.
“We live in a beautiful place, but we need the policies and vision to match,” stakeholders say. “The potential benefits are huge, if we dare to go after them.”
