After two record years in foreign tourist arrivals for Cyprus – with total arrivals breaking two times in a row the 4-million arrivals mark, the Mediterranean island is expecting another milestone this year.
As Cyprus begins its six-month presidency of the Council of the European Union on Jan. 1, 2026, the hotel sector on the Mediterranean island is gearing up for an atypical period of sustained demand.
Traditionally, winter and early spring are slow seasons for tourism. But the EU presidency should inject a six-month runway of business travel and conference-related occupancy.
The EU presidency should effectively translate into dozens of high-level meetings and events. According to the Secretariat of the Cypriot Presidency of the Council of the EU 2026, about 28,000 delegates are expected to travel to Cyprus during the six-month term. The current schedule includes 53 official meetings, 260 informal meetings and 19 informal ministerial councils.
This could in return driving roughly 62,000–63,000 hotel overnight stays directly tied to official meetings across Larnaca and Nicosia but also in leisure destinations such as Famagusta, Limassol and Paphos. This would particularly stimulate demand for four- and five-star properties. And also help reducing the island’s heavy reliance on summer sun-seekers.
Another positive development is infrastructure enhancements. The Cypriot government has poured €25.6 million for the upgrading of the Filoxenia Conference Centre and the former Higher Hotel Institute being turned into a press center. The upgrades include modern conferencing systems, high-speed networks, interpretation facilities and improved technical systems overall.
Unfortunately, Cyprus airports will not get a boost from the EU related activities. Although both Larnaca and Paphos airports are expanding their terminals, construction works will not be achieved before at least 2028…
Hoteliers meanwhile face operational challenges: maintaining staffing levels through extended seasons, upgrading facilities to meet international expectations and balancing the needs of leisure and business guests. If managed well, the EU presidency could however be a pivotal catalyst for the island’s long-sought transition toward a full-fledged year-round tourism destination.
According to Cyprus Statistical Service, tourist arrivals for January–November 2025 reached about 4.38 million, up around 12 % from the same period in 2024, with strong monthly growth like 30.4 % in November alone. Record monthly figures were set in August 2025, with more than 602,000 arrivals.
