Presenting his annual report on 26 February, Deputy Minister of Tourism Kostas Koumis confirmed that Cyprus welcomed an unprecedented 4.5 million visitors in 2025, generating €9.9 billion in revenue and lifting the sector’s contribution to GDP to 14 per cent. Average per-capita spend climbed to €822, while cruise passenger numbers more than doubled to 278,000.
Behind the headline figures lies a strategic shift. Having restored volume after the pandemic dip, the ministry is now turning its focus to ‘quality tourism’. Thirteen incentive schemes worth €20 million are being rolled out to upgrade rural lodgings, boost health-and-wellness offerings and digitalise visitor services. Some 153 regeneration projects in mountain and remote areas are nearing completion, part-financed by the EU Recovery and Resilience Facility.
Koumis also previewed an intense year of business-travel activity linked to Cyprus’ rotating Presidency of the Council of the EU in the second half of 2026. More than 30,000 delegates and 250 ministerial meetings are expected, with the tourism portfolio coordinating accommodation, venue logistics and excursion programmes. Hoteliers in Nicosia and Limassol have already reported a spike in block bookings for the July–December window.
![Tourism chief hails record 4.5 million arrivals in 2025 and outlines ‘quality over quantity’ pivot for 2026]()
With delegate arrivals and leisure visits poised to surge, attention is also turning to entry formalities. VisaHQ’s online portal (https://www.visahq.com/cyprus/) offers businesses and individual travellers a quick way to check Cyprus visa requirements, complete applications and receive real-time status updates, reducing administrative friction ahead of the trip.
Legislative work is keeping pace with the policy pivot: a new Diving Tourism Bill and a modernised framework for catering and entertainment venues are before parliament, aiming to streamline permits and raise service standards. Memoranda of understanding signed in 2025 with Israel and Saudi Arabia are expected to open additional air-service opportunities and niche-market cooperation.
For multinational employers, the numbers spell both opportunity and pressure. Peak-season airfares are likely to remain elevated, and car-hire inventories could tighten as visitor-days rise. Mobility managers should lock in corporate rates early and monitor forthcoming regulations that could affect conference-and-incentive trip planning.
Behind the headline figures lies a strategic shift. Having restored volume after the pandemic dip, the ministry is now turning its focus to ‘quality tourism’. Thirteen incentive schemes worth €20 million are being rolled out to upgrade rural lodgings, boost health-and-wellness offerings and digitalise visitor services. Some 153 regeneration projects in mountain and remote areas are nearing completion, part-financed by the EU Recovery and Resilience Facility.
Koumis also previewed an intense year of business-travel activity linked to Cyprus’ rotating Presidency of the Council of the EU in the second half of 2026. More than 30,000 delegates and 250 ministerial meetings are expected, with the tourism portfolio coordinating accommodation, venue logistics and excursion programmes. Hoteliers in Nicosia and Limassol have already reported a spike in block bookings for the July–December window.
With delegate arrivals and leisure visits poised to surge, attention is also turning to entry formalities. VisaHQ’s online portal (https://www.visahq.com/cyprus/) offers businesses and individual travellers a quick way to check Cyprus visa requirements, complete applications and receive real-time status updates, reducing administrative friction ahead of the trip.
Legislative work is keeping pace with the policy pivot: a new Diving Tourism Bill and a modernised framework for catering and entertainment venues are before parliament, aiming to streamline permits and raise service standards. Memoranda of understanding signed in 2025 with Israel and Saudi Arabia are expected to open additional air-service opportunities and niche-market cooperation.
For multinational employers, the numbers spell both opportunity and pressure. Peak-season airfares are likely to remain elevated, and car-hire inventories could tighten as visitor-days rise. Mobility managers should lock in corporate rates early and monitor forthcoming regulations that could affect conference-and-incentive trip planning.
