Limassol packed with tourists, while Larnaca loses around 15% of bookings

In August, hotel occupancy in Limassol reached around 90%, while Larnaca is receiving approximately 15% fewer tourists than during the same period last year.

The head of the Cyprus Hotel Owners Association (PASYXE) in Limassol, Christos Tsanos, said that August figures were practically in line with those of last year. According to him, hotels in Limassol maintained prices at last year’s level in most categories, with increases not exceeding 5%.

He noted that Limassol is primarily oriented towards tourists with higher incomes and greater expectations regarding the quality of their holiday.

The situation in Larnaca is considerably more difficult. The head of the local PASYXE branch, Marios Poliou, said that hotel occupancy in July and August fell by approximately 15% compared with the same months last year.

According to him, Larnaca’s tourism sector was significantly affected by the war in the Middle East and the broader geopolitical situation. The impact was particularly strong in the first months, after which the situation stabilised; however, the city entered July and the peak summer season with lower occupancy.

August started slowly, with hotel occupancy at around 75% compared with approximately 90% in August 2025. At the same time, industry representatives are hoping for additional bookings before the end of the month. The outlook for September is more positive, and bookings are progressing at a good pace.

In Paphos, the tourist flow is, according to local authorities, returning to normal levels after the anxiety caused by regional conflicts.

Acting Mayor of Paphos Angelos Onisiforou said that tourists are taking note of the renovated waterfront this year. According to him, a two-month city-cleaning campaign improved the condition of the harbour, the pier and Agiou Antoniou Street, which he called Paphos’s «showcase» for international tourism.

In the Protaras and Ayia Napa areas, by contrast, hotels are expected to be almost fully booked in the coming days. The optimism of tourism industry representatives is supported both by foreign tourists and by confirmed bookings from Cyprus residents.

Occupancy is expected to remain high throughout the period around the 15 August holiday and until 20–25 August. Over the next two to three weeks, the average hotel occupancy of the two resorts is forecast by the industry to reach 90–95%.

The majority of late bookings are being made by tourists from the United Kingdom, Israel and Scandinavian countries.

Limassol packed with tourists, while Larnaca loses around 15% of bookings