EVEN MORE BRITISH TOURISTS IN 2027 - Filenews 5/11 by Angelos Angelodimou
Particularly positive are the messages received by the Cypriot delegation regarding the next tourist season, from the contacts made in the context of the WTM tourism exhibition in London. Tourism from Britain – Cyprus' largest market – is expected to be boosted even more, both in terms of the number of seats offered and the number of airlines flying to Cypriot airports. The only dissonance, which creates uncertainty, remains the increased cost of fuel for airlines. A factor that is expected to play its own role in the coming months, depending on the course of the war in the Middle East.
The World Travel Market (WTM) in London, one of the largest tourism exhibitions in the world, has always been a point of reference for the entire industry, as it gave the mark of the market's course during the next tourist season. The Cypriot delegation, under the Deputy Minister of Tourism Costas Koumis, made a series of contacts with tour operators and airline representatives, with the aim of ensuring the continuation and strengthening of the tourist flow to the island in 2027. The messages received were extremely positive, even though the "energy" factor forces those in charge to remain restrained.
Increase of positions
In particular, in relation to the 2027 tourist season, Deputy Minister of Tourism Costas Koumis said yesterday from London that the messages he received from the contacts he had with Cyprus' strategic partners in the British market were particularly encouraging. He even focused on two points, which leave room for optimism in relation to the course of tourism. Specifically, it stated that: (a) Major tourism organizations have expressed their intention to increase the offered airline seats to Cyprus, thus creating prospects for an increase in arrivals from the United Kingdom. (b) The Deputy Minister also referred to the strengthening of air connectivity between Cyprus and the United Kingdom. Our country is connected by air to 18 different British cities, through six airlines. This connection will be further strengthened, as a seventh company will soon be added.
In addition to the above, Mr. Koumis pointed out that 2027 will be a difficult year for international tourism. The expected increases in airline ticket prices may affect consumers' decisions when planning their holidays, said Mr. Koumis. However, he expressed the assessment that Cypriot tourism will be able to respond to this challenge as well, without particular losses.
Finally, in relation to this year's tourist season, the Deputy Minister of Tourism underlined that despite the uncertainty created in the tourism market after the event of March 1, Cypriot tourism managed to significantly limit its losses, resulting in the decrease in tourist arrivals being limited to 5.6% compared to the previous year.
Further development
The positive messages for Cypriot tourism, however, do not stop at the London Tourism Fair. Airlines expressed their intention to strengthen their flight schedules to Cyprus in 2027 in the context of Routes World 2026, where Hermes Airports participated. In a statement, the management company of the Cypriot airports notes, among other things, that "the contacts with the airlines highlighted the pressures that the industry is under, mainly due to the increase in the cost of fuel, which affects both the demand and the profitability of the companies". It added, however, that "despite the challenges, Cyprus still maintains a positive outlook, with Hermes Airports' airline partners expressing an intention to strengthen their flight schedules and further develop in 2027."
Changing trends
An interesting element, which Hermes points out in its announcement, is the changes in the trend of passengers in relation to their travel bookings. Indicatively, he states that the increasingly shorter time gap between booking and making the trip, which has now been limited to 3-4 weeks, is a significant challenge for airlines. "This trend, which is recorded in a large number of destinations internationally, makes it difficult to plan flights and make operational decisions. At the same time, the fluctuation in demand, combined with the need to enhance the visibility of Cyprus in specific markets, continues to affect the viability of certain routes," adds Hermes Airports.
