Cyprus tourism hit by war in Iran: Ayia Napa estimates 30–40% drop as April arrivals fall 16%, recovery signs emerge

Cyprus’s tourism season has opened on a weak note, with operators in Ayia Napa estimating visitor numbers are down by 30–40% in early May and airport data showing a 16% year-on-year fall in April arrivals, amid uncertainty linked to the war in Iran. The downturn is visible along the resort’s marinas and promenades, where business owners say activity is far below last year’s record pace.

“Normally, boats, hotels and restaurants are very busy at this time of year,” said Sukan Samnice, who runs a boat rental in Ayia Napa. “Last year, all the hotels were fully booked around this period.

This year, compared to last year, visitor numbers are down by around 30–40%.” Ayia Napa’s mayor, Christos Zannetou, said the broader Middle East situation has significantly affected tourism but added that visitors are gradually recognising Cyprus as a safe destination and that the sector is beginning to recover.

“Compared with last year, mobility is down by about 35–40%. However, this gap is narrowing day by day,” he said, noting that 2025 was the best tourism season for Cyprus — especially for Ayia Napa — since 2019. “Over the past two weeks we have started to see signs of recovery.

We believe that people trust Ayia Napa and Cyprus as safe destinations, and booking interest appears to be picking up again.” Visitors already on the island echoed that sentiment. A tourist from Poland said warm weather and the island’s landscapes drew them to Cyprus, while a German visitor, Klaus, acknowledged the tense international climate and expressed hope that peace would prevail soon.

Island-wide figures from Hermes Airports underline both the setback and the tentative rebound. The operator said April recorded a 16% decrease in arriving passengers compared with April 2025 — about 95,000 fewer people — with average aircraft load factors at 76%, down from 83% a year earlier.

For the April–October season, airlines have trimmed overall seat capacity by no more than 5% — roughly 600,000 seats — and passenger numbers are expected to decline by around 9%, or about 450,000 fewer arrivals. Even so, Hermes reported improvement over the past two weeks (since 20 April), with arrival load factors rising to between 80% and 85%.

Key markets such as the UK and Poland are performing strongly, with load factors exceeding 90%. For May, indicative figures show the UK averaging around 30 inbound flights per day with a 92% load factor; Israel around 20 daily flights at 60%; Poland nine per day at 93%; and Germany eight daily flights at 86%.

Overall UK flights in May are currently showing a 92% occupancy rate. Cyprus’s air links remain extensive: 54 airlines are connecting the island to 165 destinations across 42 countries, and most schedule changes involve reductions in weekly frequencies rather than route cancellations, Hermes said.

Local officials and businesses in Ayia Napa expect the trajectory in bookings to determine whether the gap with last year’s record season continues to narrow as summer progresses.