Cyprus banks on EU leaders’ summit to reassure tourists after Iran war jitters
Cyprus is turning an upcoming EU leaders’ summit into a message to nervous travelers: the island is open and safe. With tourism rattled by the war in Iran and a recent drone strike on the island, Nicosia is betting that the sight of 27 heads of government convening on its shores will help bring holidaymakers back.
As holder of the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU, Cyprus will host the bloc’s leaders over two days later this month — first in the resort town of Ayia Napa on April 23, then in the capital, Nicosia, on April 24. For the government, the event doubles as a high-profile reassurance campaign that the island remains calm and very much in business.
The push follows a jolt in early March, when a Shahed drone struck a British naval base on the island just days after the U.S. and Israel launched the conflict. Cyprus lies about 1,200 kilometers from Iran, and the incident, coupled with foreign travel warnings, triggered a wave of cancellations.
Kostas Koumis, Cyprus’ minister responsible for tourism, said the summit amounts to a vote of confidence in the country and an opportunity to underscore that safety is a top priority. Industry groups agree the optics matter. Antonis Orthodoxou, spokesperson for the Association of Cyprus Travel and Tourist Agents (ACTTA), said seeing leaders gather on the island could help rebuild trust among prospective visitors.
There is also an immediate economic lift. Tourism accounts for roughly 15 percent of Cyprus’ economy, and the summit will bring hundreds of officials, security personnel and journalists who will fill hotel rooms, restaurants and bars. “A lot of people working on the EU will come,” Orthodoxou said, adding that the influx should inject some money into local businesses.
An EU official said the meeting was intended in part as a conspicuous show of support for Cyprus after several major EU gatherings on the island were shelved during the first phase of the Iran war. The turmoil has not been purely psychological. Airfares have surged as fuel costs climbed, with some return tickets from Brussels topping €1,000 — a heavy blow for an island reliant on air links.
A Cypriot official said the government, which organized special flights to Brussels for the duration of its Council presidency, had planned to book more but scaled back due to the war. A second official described the prices as a disaster for Cyprus. Even if the summit helps restore confidence, officials are cautious about the outlook.
Koumis said last year’s record performance will not be matched, noting that March and April have already been affected. The hope is that images of a smooth, secure gathering in Ayia Napa and Nicosia will set the stage for a gradual rebound as the summer season approaches.