Meantime the slowdown is also reflected in hotel reservations.<\/p>\n
Thanos Michaelides, head of the Cyprus Hotels Association (Pasyxe) spoke of booking cancellations for the month of March \u2013 and for April.<\/p>\n
A few cancellations have been seen for May as well.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor March as a whole, reservations were quite low. However, starting in the last week of March, the rate of bookings picked up somewhat,\u201d he told the Cyprus Mail.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf three out of the 12 months of the year are problematic, there will be an effect on tourism for the whole of 2026. We look at the industry in aggregate, over the period of a year.\u201d<\/p>\n
But like Kakkouras, Michaelides insisted: \u201cThe image we project is that Cyprus is a safe place to visit \u2013 positive messaging.\u201d<\/p>\n
Still, he conceded that the rate of reservations for this summer has slowed down compared to last year.<\/p>\n
Hotel bookings in Cyprus typically start right after Christmas, taking advantage of discounts. By April, the special offers get snapped up.<\/p>\n
\u201cBookings happen continually. But the bulk takes place between January and May.\u201d<\/p>\n
Israelis tend to book at the last minute. Brits do it earlier. It depends on the market.<\/p>\n
Coming to the aid of the hotel industry, the government has rolled out a scheme subsidising 30 per cent of payroll for April. Hoteliers had wanted 50 per cent, but the government said no.<\/p>\n
The scheme went live on Friday, April 3. The subsidy applies to the wages of hotel executives, management and staff.<\/p>\n
Michaelides said the scheme caps the subsidised amount at \u20ac1,324.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor example, a person earning \u20ac1,500 will get a subsidy of \u20ac500. Someone on a salary of \u20ac5,000 will get a maximum subsidy of \u20ac1,324.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Deputy](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/koumis.jpg\")
Tourism Deputy Minister Costas Koumis<\/p>\n
To qualify, hotels must show either a reduction in income of 40 per cent compared to April 2025, or an occupancy rate of 60 per cent or lower.<\/p>\n
Applications for compensation will be filed after the month of April.<\/p>\n
With the scheme just having been green-lit, there\u2019s no data yet on how many hotels have applied.<\/p>\n
As to how many hotels will open for business in April, some have, said Michaelides.<\/p>\n
\u201cIs there a date by which we can call this a crisis for the hotel industry? We can\u2019t really say.<\/p>\n
\u201cStill, if the situation doesn\u2019t improve by May, by then it becomes harder to recover lost occupancy rates. Tourists will have made alternative arrangements by then, other destinations.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bottom line: no one can call it, as no one knows when the war will end.<\/p>\n
We contacted the deputy ministry of tourism asking what picture they have of the industry.<\/p>\n
They said that whereas there have been a number of cancellations and a slowdown in bookings, that has affected mainly the month of March.<\/p>\n
April also got impacted, but as time goes by, the negative trend appears to be turning around.<\/p>\n
The ministry said they remain optimistic for a successful season, despite the aforementioned difficulties.<\/p>\n
On whether they have an action plan to go into effect as soon as the war ends, the ministry said they already have one in place.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have a marketing and PR campaign running in important tourist markets for us, and we\u2019re in close contact with our strategic partners so we assure they receive accurate information about the situation in our country.\u201d<\/p>\n
As part of the campaign, the government hosted a number of journalists from several European countries. In the meetings, the administration conveyed that \u201call activities related to the tourism sector continue uninterrupted \u2013 activities that welcome thousands of visitors for sporting, cultural and other events\u201d.<\/p>\n
Regarding what measures the government might take for the airline industry, to maintain air connectivity to Cyprus, the ministry said these have already been made public in conjunction with Hermes Airports.<\/p>\n