The traffic in hotels in Cyprus improved in June compared to the previous months, according to the President of the Cyprus Hoteliers Association, Thanos Michaelides, who, however, points out that the tourism market is still moving at lower levels than usual for the season.
As he told KYPE, the traffic in June is significantly better compared to the months of March, April and May. Despite the improvement, the usual levels of June have not yet been reached, with the situation being comparatively better than in the previous period.
He noted that there is an increasing trend in the flow of bookings, even though they are still below normal levels.
Regarding occupancy, the president of PASYXE said that the picture varies significantly from province to province but also from hotel to hotel. In Free Famagusta, hotel occupancy rates in June average 60%, while in Paphos they reach about 70%, recording a comparatively smaller decrease than last year. He reminded that under normal conditions, occupancy rates in the corresponding period last year were around 90%.
Regarding Limassol, he noted that the province is in a comparatively better position than other areas, as it also benefits from business tourism. The supply of beds is more limited, which contributes to maintaining better occupancy rates. Nevertheless, Limassol also has lower occupancy rates compared to previous years, although to a lesser extent compared to other districts.
Mr. Michailidis pointed out that in order for hotels to be profitable, high occupancy rates are required. As he explained, the profitability of hotel units is evaluated on an annual basis, however in practice the main tourist activity is limited to about six months a year, which makes it crucial to achieve high occupancy rates during the tourist season.
Regarding the tourism markets, he noted that the British market continues to be the most important source of tourists for Cyprus, maintaining the lead in arrivals, while positive messages are also recorded from the Israeli market, which has started to show mobility again, he concluded.
Referring to the overall picture of this year, Mr. Michailidis described 2026 as a difficult year for the hotel industry, underlining that the tourism industry went through quite difficult periods from March until recently. As he said, efforts are focused on maintaining interest in Cyprus and reducing the effects caused by the adverse conditions, with the aim of saving as much of the tourist year as possible by the end of the year. However, as he noted, the development of the situation remains unpredictable.
Mr. Michaelides expressed the hope that after the end of the crisis in Iran there will be a further improvement in the demand for holidays in Cyprus and in the flow of bookings, clarifying, however, that so far there are no concrete indications to confirm this prospect. At the same time, he wished that the latest developments will contribute to the increase in bookings in the coming months, especially in July, August and September.
