Cyprus seeks growth from winter and the Nordic countries

Cyprus’s Ministry of Tourism is focusing on growing tourism outside the traditional summer season and attracting new international markets. In an interview with Travel News Finland during a press trip organised in Cyprus, Deputy Minister of Tourism Kostas Koumis emphasises that the country’s future can no longer rely solely on sun-and-beach holidays. Instead, Cyprus is investing heavily in sports, wellness, gastronomy and nature tourism.

New air connections from Central Asia

Cyprus has succeeded in opening new air connections from Central Asia. Direct flights from Kazakhstan began this year, and the country is also in talks with India about future air links.

– International air connections are crucial for us. At the moment, direct flights from the United States are challenging due to insufficient demand, but we see enormous growth potential in markets such as Kazakhstan, Koumis tells Travel News Finland.

There are now several weekly flights to Cyprus from both Almaty and Astana. According to Koumis, what makes the market particularly interesting is its rapidly growing middle class.

The Nordic countries remain an important market

Although the Nordic countries' share of Cyprus tourism is smaller than it was decades ago, the region remains strategically important.

According to Koumis, Sweden, Norway and Finland in particular used to bring significantly more winter travellers, many of whom spent several months on the island.

– Competition has intensified. New destinations have entered the market, offering either a lower price level or easier accessibility. Even so, we strongly believe in the Nordic market and want to increase visitor numbers.

Cyprus sees autumn and winter in particular as a major opportunity, as the weather is still exceptionally pleasant at that time.

The Iran-Israel conflict affected tourism less than expected

The conflict between Iran and Israel, as well as drone strikes that reached Cyprus in March 2026, initially caused uncertainty in the tourism sector.

According to Koumis, the biggest effects were seen in the Israeli market, when flight connections were suspended and new bookings were postponed.

However, in Cyprus's other key European markets, the effects were clearly smaller than expected.

Industry estimates suggest that hotel bookings fell by around 40 per cent in March compared with forecasts, and in some destinations cancellations rose by 25–30 per cent after the conflict began.

Tourism from Israel came to a virtual standstill because of the suspension of flights.

By contrast, there was no widespread wave of cancellations from the United Kingdom or elsewhere in Europe; according to travel companies, bookings remained largely stable.

Demand began to recover gradually during the spring and early summer. Hotels reported that booking levels improved week by week, and by June the number of online hotel searches for Cyprus had increased by nearly 30 per cent compared with the initial phase of the conflict.

According to hotels, bookings had recovered to almost 2025 levels, although the most ambitious growth targets for the start of the year had to be revised.

The recovery is also visible in official statistics: in June 2026, only 1.7 per cent fewer tourists arrived in Cyprus than a year earlier.

Record year 2025

2025 was the best year in the history of tourism in Cyprus.

A total of 4.53 million tourists visited the island, which was 12.2 per cent more than in 2024.

Tourism revenue rose to around €3.7 billion.

The largest source market remained the United Kingdom, accounting for 31.8 per cent of all travellers.

This was followed by:

• Israel (13%)

• Poland (8.2%)

• Germany (6.1%)

• Greece (3.9%)

• Sweden (3.4%)

Cyprus currently has air connections to 42 countries and 160 destinations, and around 54 airlines fly to the island.

According to Koumis, the country’s next goal is no longer simply to exceed the four million tourist mark, but to increase tourism revenue and strengthen year-round tourism.

Cyprus seeks growth from the Nordics

Although the Nordic countries are no longer among Cyprus’s largest source markets, they still play an important role in the country’s tourism strategy.

In 2025, 41,261 Finns visited Cyprus, representing 0.9 per cent of all international arrivals. The figure was about eight per cent lower than a year earlier. Over the longer term, however, the decline has been considerably greater - in the early 1990s, Cyprus welcomed nearly 120,000 Finnish tourists a year at its peak.

According to Deputy Minister for Tourism Kostas Koumis, the aim is to increase Nordic winter tourism in particular by improving flight connections and highlighting Cyprus’s year-round strengths, such as its wellness, sports and gastronomic offering, as well as authentic local experiences.

In Finland, Cyprus is still largely seen as a summer destination, even though the island’s mild winter offers a competitive alternative to, for example, the Canary Islands during autumn, winter and early spring.

Autumn has become the new peak season

One of the most significant changes in recent years has been the growing popularity of September and October.

According to the Ministry of Tourism, these are now also the months when the highest-spending travellers arrive, while temperatures remain pleasantly summery.

“In recent years, temperatures have been around 30 degrees even in November. That is a significant competitive advantage, especially in the Northern European market,” Koumis says.

Cyprus’s tourism industry believes that the island can attract more and more travellers at a time when many destinations in Greece have already moved into a quieter season.

Strong focus on winter tourism

Cyprus’s long-term goal is to develop into a genuinely year-round tourist destination.

To achieve this, the country has invested heavily in sports tourism and wellness services. In recent years, several internationally recognised marathon events have been organised in Cyprus, and the island is attracting an increasing number of sports teams for winter training camps.

The national football teams of Sweden and Estonia have trained in Cyprus, and cycling clubs also make use of the island’s conditions during the winter season.

The government has also supported investments related to wellness tourism with subsidy programmes of up to one million euros.

– Three years ago, we decided to invest in wellness tourism. At first, not everyone recognised its potential, but interest has now grown significantly, Koumis says.

20 million euros invested in mountain villages

Cyprus also wants to diversify tourism beyond its coastal resorts.

With funding from the European Union’s Recovery and Resilience Facility, the country has invested around 20 million euros in the development of mountain areas and small villages.

The aim is to offer travellers even more authentic experiences while at the same time strengthening local communities.

- From the perspective of sustainable tourism, authenticity is one of our most important competitive advantages. We want to highlight Cyprus’s villages, culture and local way of life, Koumis says.

Sustainability at the heart of the tourism strategy

Sustainability was one of the key themes of the interview.

Cyprus is actively implementing the goals of the EU’s Tourism Agenda 2030 programme, which focuses on the green transition, digitalisation, skills development, crisis resilience and good governance.

One of the country’s biggest challenges is water availability.

According to Koumis, hotels have invested significantly in water recycling, water-saving technologies and improving waste management. The government also supports seawater desalination plants for coastal hotels.

- Water scarcity is a real challenge for us. That is why we offer financial support to hotels that invest in desalination systems.

Restaurants are also encouraged to make environmental investments. For example, up to 50 per cent of the costs of composting systems and other sustainable solutions can be reimbursed.

Gastronomy is seen as the next big opportunity

When asked about future tourism trends, Koumis answers without hesitation: gastronomy.

Cyprus believes that the country’s food culture remains an underused competitive advantage.

- We have excellent food, but we have not yet succeeded in building it into an internationally recognised gastronomy brand.

The Ministry of Tourism plans to increase its investment in food tourism by inviting internationally renowned top chefs and food influencers to Cyprus, as well as developing new Cypriot food concepts.

One of the future priorities is also seen as farm-to-table experiences, in which locally produced food and local producers play a central role.

Tourism accounts for almost a fifth of Cyprus’s economy

Tourism has an exceptionally large significance for the Cypriot economy.

According to Koumis, the sector generates around 14 per cent of the country’s gross domestic product.

As a result of Turkey’s 1974 invasion, Cyprus lost its main tourism centres in the Famagusta and Kyrenia areas. After that, the tourism industry had to be rebuilt in places including Ayia Napa and Paphos.

Now the country is once again pursuing a new phase of growth.

The aim is to increase year-round tourism, attract visitors from new markets such as Central Asia and India, and strengthen Cyprus’s position as a high-quality Mediterranean destination.

Cyprus’s message to the international travel industry is clear: the island wants to become known for much more than sun and beaches. Sport, wellbeing, gastronomy, authentic village experiences and year-round accessibility are seen as the cornerstones of future growth.

Facts

• International tourists (2025): 4.53 million

• Annual growth: +12.2%

• Tourism revenue: approximately €3.7 billion

• Air connections: to 42 countries

• Airlines flying to Cyprus: approximately 54

• Largest source market: United Kingdom (31.8%)

• Israel: 13%

• Poland: 8.2%

• Germany: 6.1%

• Sweden: 3.4%

• Finland: 0.9%