Advance bookings from Britain’s three largest tour operators for 2027 are running between 20 and 30 per cent below last year’s levels, raising fresh concerns for Cyprus’ tourism industry despite signs of recovery towards the end of the summer season. 

Paphos hoteliers association president Evripides Loizides warned on Tuesday that immediate action was needed to strengthen the island’s promotion abroad, particularly as competition intensifies and uncertainty continues to weigh on holiday decisions. 

Speaking to the Cyprus News Agency (CNA), Loizides said “the 2026 summer season had started strongly, only for the war and its wider consequences to disrupt demand and leave hotels facing considerable losses.” 

As a result, hotel occupancy during the three summer months and through September was approximately 7 per cent lower than in the corresponding period of 2025. 

However, he explained that “the difficulties facing the hotel industry extended beyond weaker demand, with increasing competition from short-term holiday rentals and accommodation in the occupied area, adding further pressure on established businesses.” 

Although September performed slightly better than last year and October has also shown encouraging signs, the outlook for the coming months remains less favourable. 

According to Loizides, tourist activity typically begins to decline after November 10, with Cyprus continuing to experience a substantial fall in demand during the winter months. 

Of particular concern is the British market, which remains Cyprus’ largest source of tourists but is coming under pressure as households face economic uncertainty and higher living costs. 

Meanwhile, Poland continues to be an important market for Paphos, alongside Israel, whose visitors have played a significant role in supporting the destination this year. Nevertheless, Loizides cautioned that demand from Israel remains closely linked to developments and stability in the country. 

The warning comes just a day after official figures showed that Cyprus welcomed 580,889 tourists in September, an increase of 1.8 per cent compared with the same month last year. 

British visitors accounted for 184,345 arrivals, 31.7 per cent of the total, while Israel followed with 105,249 visitors, representing 18.1 per cent. 

Nevertheless, the wider picture remains more challenging, with arrivals during the first nine months of 2026 reaching 3.4 million, 5.6 per cent below the corresponding period of 2025. 

Tourism Deputy Minister Kostas Koumis said on Monday that preparations for 2027 were already under way, with particular attention being given to recovering markets that had suffered losses because of external developments. 

For Loizides, however, the immediate priority is to strengthen overseas advertising before the next holiday booking season gets under way. 

He explained that “most reservations are made between January and March, making it essential for Cyprus to increase its visibility in major tourism markets well before travellers finalise their plans.” 

In this respect, he called on the Deputy Ministry of Tourism, tourism organisations and airlines to coordinate their efforts, stressing that the government has a particularly important responsibility in promoting Cyprus abroad. 

The appeal also comes as the deputy ministry’s 2027 budget provides €26.9 million for tourism promotion campaigns, slightly below the €27.7m allocated for 2026. 

At the same time, Loizides pointed to rising hotel operating costs, staff shortages during the summer months and the uncertainty caused by international developments as additional difficulties for the industry. 

Ryanair is cutting 20 routes and more than one million seats from its Belgian winter schedule, warning that air fares are expected to rise significantly in 2027 as higher fuel costs add to pressure on the airline industry.

The airline announced on Tuesday that its winter 2026 schedule would operate with six fewer aircraft across Brussels Charleroi and Brussels Zaventem airports, representing a claimed $600 million reduction in investment.

Ryanair attributed the cuts to Belgium’s planned aviation tax increase from €2 per ticket in January 2025 to €7 in January 2027, arguing that higher charges would make the country less competitive against European destinations with lower costs.

Chief executive Michael O’Leary also warned that passengers should expect substantially higher fares next year as the airline’s protection against rising fuel prices expires.

“We guarantee no fuel surcharges, but there is no doubt that air fares are going to rise significantly in 2027 because of much higher oil prices,” O’Leary said in an interview with Euronews.

Ryanair has locked in its fuel costs at about $67 per barrel for this year by agreeing prices in advance, but O’Leary expects the price to double next year as that protection runs out.

His warning comes amid rising oil prices linked to the war in the Middle East and concerns over supplies from the Persian Gulf.

Brent crude, the international benchmark, closed at $109.86 per barrel on Friday, its highest level since May, before subsequently climbing above $110, according to the report.

O’Leary argued that aviation taxes also push up costs and divert traffic to countries offering more competitive conditions.

“The Belgian government is doing exactly the opposite,” he said, criticising the planned tax increase and arguing that it would discourage investment, reduce passenger traffic and tourism, and cost jobs.

Ryanair said it had redirected six aircraft, more than one million seats and 20 routes away from Belgium for the winter 2026 schedule, warning that further losses could follow if the tax remained in place.

The airline also pointed to the European Union’s emissions trading system, arguing that it places additional costs on flights within the bloc while exempting non-EU flights.

O’Leary called for aviation taxes to be abolished in Belgium, saying that higher charges would shift passenger demand and tourism to lower-cost destinations elsewhere in Europe.

The Belgian tax increase was scaled back from an initial proposal to raise the charge to €10 per ticket, following pressure from the industry, but Ryanair said the revised rate remained too high.

The airline’s reductions come as other carriers have also adjusted their schedules, with Sweden’s SAS and easyJet having reduced flights this year.

Ryanair said the Belgian government should reconsider the tax before further damage was done to the country’s aviation market.

The Algarve has enjoyed a strong showing at two major international tourism award programmes, with the region itself named Europe’s Leading Beach Destination 2026 and a string of Algarve hotels,

The post Algarve tourism shines at European level appeared first on Portugal Resident.

Cyprus recorded the third-highest tourism intensity in the European Union in 2025, with an average of 19.4 nights spent in tourist accommodation per resident, according to a report from Eurostat.

The island ranked behind Croatia, which recorded 24.5 nights per inhabitant, and Malta, with 21.7, placing Cyprus among the EU countries where tourism activity is highest relative to the resident population.

Greece followed with 15.1 nights per inhabitant, while Austria recorded 14.6, the report added.

Across the EU, tourism intensity averaged 7.0 nights per resident in 2025, up from 6.7 in 2024.

At the other end of the scale, Romania recorded the lowest figure, at 1.6 nights per inhabitant, followed by Latvia at 2.7, and Poland and Slovakia, both at 2.9.

The figures come as the EU recorded 3.1 billion nights spent in tourist accommodation establishments in 2025, up 4.1 per cent from 3.0 billion in 2024.

The total represented a 26.5 per cent increase compared with 2015, when tourist accommodation across the bloc recorded 2.5 billion nights.

Domestic and international tourists accounted for almost equal numbers of overnight stays across the EU in 2025.

Tourists from domestic markets and other EU member states accounted for 80.9 per cent of all nights, equivalent to approximately 2.5 billion stays, while visitors from other European countries accounted for a further 10.4 per cent.

Tourists from the Americas, including North, Central and South America, accounted for 4.9 per cent of overnight stays, or 155.5 million nights.

Visitors from Asia represented 2.6 per cent, equivalent to 81.6 million nights, while tourists from Oceania accounted for 0.5 per cent, or 15.2 million nights.

Guests from Africa accounted for the remaining 0.4 per cent, representing 12.9 million nights.

The strongest annual increases in overnight stays between 2024 and 2025 came from visitors from Asia, whose stays rose by 15.4 per cent, and Africa, where they increased by 13.7 per cent.

Over the longer term, nights spent by tourists from the Americas more than doubled between 2015 and 2025, increasing by 101.9 per cent from nearly 77 million.

The tourism intensity measure compares the number of nights spent in tourist accommodation establishments with the permanent resident population of each country, providing an indication of tourism activity relative to population size.

What is the current state of Cyprus’ tourism sector now?

Cyprus recorded its highest-ever September tourist arrivals in 2026, welcoming 580,889 visitors, an increase of 1.80 per cent year-on-year, according to data from the Cyprus Statistical Service (Cystat).

Deputy Tourism Minister Kostas Koumis attributed the recovery to growth in key markets, led by Israel, where arrivals rose by 31.40 per cent, followed by the United Kingdom, up 2.80 per cent, and Greece, up 16.10 per cent.

The gains helped offset sharp declines in arrivals from several other European markets.

Despite September’s record, total tourist arrivals between January and September fell by 5.60 per cent year-on-year to 3,401,538.

However, the annual shortfall has narrowed steadily since spring, reflecting the resilience of Cyprus’ tourism sector following earlier geopolitical disruptions in the Middle East.

Cyber security and digitalisation of the tourism sector will come firmly under the spotlight at a major industry event next month.

The World Tourism Forum is a key gathering of experts and stakeholders who will converge on Brussels on 9/10 … Read more

Frédéric DELORCA

Avec son climat subtropical qui permet d’avoir plusieurs récoltes de fruits par an et ses plages de sable fin sur les bords de la Mer Noire, et ses chemins de randonnée à travers les forêts profondes et les sommets enneigés du Caucase, l’Abkhazie, ancien lieu de villégiature de la nomenklatura soviétique, pourrait être un paradis touristique inscrit au catalogue de toutes les agences de voyage comme la Thaïlande et Acapulco.

Elle l’est chaque année pour plus d’un million de touristes russes (surtout depuis que la guerre d’Ukraine complique leurs voyages à travers le monde). Mais pour les médias mainstreams d’Europe occidentale, ce petit pays de 250 000 habitants, qui a fait sécession de la Géorgie en 1993 au terme d’une guerre de libération de David contre Goliath, n’est qu’une enclave qui serait purement et simplement annexée par les Russes et vouée à l’isolement et à l’embargo, jusqu’à ce qu’il ait retrouvé le giron de ses anciens maîtres à Tbilissi.

Pourtant l’hypothèse d’une réunification relève de la pure politique fiction. Ni les 50 % d’abkhazes ethniques qui ont payé le prix du sang pour s’opposer à la politique assimilationniste des Géorgiens, ni les autres communautés (Arméniens, Russes, Grecs, Mingréliens) n’aspirent au retour de la Géorgie. Plus de trente ans de séparation entre les deux pays, l’Abkhazie s’est habituée à vivre loin de Tbilissi. Et les fièvres anti-russes attisées par l’Union Européenne et l’Amérique qui périodiquement enflamment Tbilissi (comme lorsqu’en 2008 le nationaliste Saakachvili, l’ex-patron de Raphaël Glucksman, avec le soutien de Washington, avait lancé ses troupes contre l’Ossétie du Sud, une autre entité qui s’était séparée de son pays) ne sont pas de nature à combler le fossé.

La question aujourd’hui pour le peuple abkhaze est de savoir comment construire un avenir pour soi-même quand on n’est reconnu que par quatre Etats : la Russie, le Nicaragua, le Vénézuéla et la Syrie… Si Taiwan n’est pas membre de l’ONU, cela n’empêche pas les Taiwanais de voyager à travers le monde, de même les Kosovars dont le pays n’est pas reconnu par l’Espagne ou par la Roumanie peuvent quand même se rendre dans l’Union européenne. Les Abkhazes ne bénéficient pas de ce genre de facilité. Car à l’absence de reconnaissance de leur Etat au niveau international s’ajoute une double peine liée au fait qu’ils sont assimilés par la propagande occidentale à une sorte d’axe du mal pro-russe. Du coup, non seulement leurs passeports ne sont pas reconnus (à tel point qu’ils ne peuvent même pas se rendre dans la Turquie voisine), mais ils subissent de plein fouet les sanctions économiques ciblées vers leur grand frère du Nord.

L’équation sommaire « Abkhazes = alliés des Russes », est pourtant plus complexe qu’il n’y paraît. En 1996 Eltsine avait placé l’Abkhazie sous embargo, et si Poutine se pose plutôt en protecteur, les Abkhazes veillent à ce que cela ne se fasse pas au détriment de leur souveraineté. En novembre 2024 par exemple, les manifestants à Soukhoumi étaient parvenus, en mode « gilets jaunes » à renverser le gouvernement jugé trop pro-Russe en envahissant le siège de ses institutions. Dans ce pays où tout le monde est prêt à défendre sa liberté avec les armes, l’achat des terres reste interdit aux étrangers, ce qui le préserve aussi de la spéculation et des excès du capitalisme cynique qu’il soit russe ou globalisé.

Avant de définir quel degré de proximité les Abkhazes doivent entretenir avec leur protecteur russe et avec les autres pays de la région, l’urgence première pour ce peuple est de desserrer sur un plan strictement humanitaire l’étau qui les étrangle, et qui fait que, par exemple, même le fait d’aller se faire soigner à l’étranger pour des soins médicaux (quand le système sanitaire local est largement défaillant) peut relever du casse-tête (car même la détention d’un passeport russe ne vous garantit pas un droit d’être soigné gratuitement à Sotchi).

D’une façon très significative, l’initiative pour desserrer cet étau a été prise par un collectif citoyen ancré dans la diaspora abkhaze en Turquie, une communauté issue de l’exil d’Abkhazes qui ont fui au XIXe siècle les massacres tsaristes. Cette communauté, qui compte environ 500 000 membres a progressivement repris conscience de ses racines caucasiennes dans les années 1990. En son sein l’avocat communiste Anit Baba a lancé en juin dernier une pétition pour convaincre le gouvernement turc d’autoriser les ressortissants d’Abkhazie à venir dans ce pays, et en vue du rétablissement de la liaison maritime entre Soukhoumi et les ports turcs.

Cette campagne a connu un succès immédiat dans les partis de gauche turcs, et même au sein de mouvements de droite, ainsi que dans les diverses communautés ethniques minoritaires comme les Kurdes et les Arméniens. Même la parti kémaliste qui dirigeait le pays dans les années 1990 a signé son soutien, sans oublier des organisations professionnelles comme l’union des barreaux de Turquie (les avocats), divers intellectuels et artistes etc.

Le succès de cette campagne est tel que le collectif « Fin de l’Isolement de l’Abkhazie » souhaite aujourd’hui étendre sa dynamique au monde entier en lançant un appel international contre l’enclavement de l’Abkhazie. Des comités en ce sens se constituent en Europe, en Asie, en Afrique, aux Etats-Unis. Le soutien à la pétition Ouvrez les portes verrouillées de la Mer Noire – mettez fin à l’isolement ! doit être l’occasion à la fois de tendre la main à ce courageux petit peuple qui depuis des siècles a résisté à toutes les tentatives d’asservissement et d’assimilation, et un moyen de dénoncer la politique occidentale qui applique un deux poids deux mesures entre les peuples « alliés » et les peuples « ennemis », en condamnant sans état d’âme ces derniers à l’oubli et à l’étranglement. Plutôt que de servir de supplétif à l’impérialisme de l’Union européenne en Géorgie, la France et les autres pays francophones s’honoreraient de plutôt choisir dans le Caucase le non-alignement et aider les Abkhazes à sortir du blocus économique et administratif. C’est ce que les citoyens doivent demander en signant cette pétition.

Lien pour la pétition (en français) : https://atlasalternatif.over-blog.com/2026/10/petition-pour-la-fin-de-l-isolement-de-l-abkhazie.html

Publié à l’origine par  Le Grand Soir

Cyprus recorded its strongest September for tourist arrivals on record, with visitor numbers rising by 1.8 per cent year-on-year as increased arrivals from Israel, Britain and Greece helped offset steep declines across several European markets.

A total of 580,889 tourists visited the island during the month, compared with 570,635 in September 2025, according to figures released on Monday by the Cyprus Statistical Service (Cystat).

The increase marked a return to growth after arrivals fell by 3.3 per cent in August, while Deputy Tourism Minister Kostas Koumis described the September performance as evidence of the sector’s recovery following the disruption caused by geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.

The latest figures also showed that arrivals were 14 per cent higher than in September 2024, when Cyprus welcomed 509,463 tourists, highlighting the longer-term expansion of the sector despite a difficult start to 2026.

For the January to September period, however, arrivals reached 3,401,538, down by 5.6 per cent from 3,604,790 during the corresponding period last year. This represented 203,252 fewer visitors over the first nine months of the year.

Nevertheless, the annual shortfall has continued to narrow since the spring, falling from 10.1 per cent at the end of June to 8 per cent in July, 7 per cent in August and 5.6 per cent after September.

The nine-month total was also 4.1 per cent higher than in 2024, when Cyprus recorded 3,268,090 arrivals, and 8.3 per cent above the corresponding period in 2023.

Koumis said the results demonstrated the sector’s ability to recover after the uncertainty that emerged in March, when geopolitical tensions across the Middle East and the negative publicity that followed created considerable difficulties for the island’s tourism industry.

He explained that “the government’s immediate priority had been to ensure that existing travel programmes to Cyprus remained in place”, recognising that their continuation would largely determine the sector’s performance over the following months.

The Deputy Ministry of Tourism subsequently placed renewed emphasis on cooperation with the country’s strategic partners while adjusting its planning to respond to the changing geopolitical situation.

Six months later, Koumis said “the results demonstrated more than a recovery in visitor numbers”, reflecting the effectiveness of decisions taken across the tourism industry and the sector’s ability to withstand external pressures.

Israel was the main driver of September’s increase, with arrivals climbing by 31.4 per cent to 105,249, compared with 80,115 a year earlier.

The increase was even more pronounced against September 2024, when Cyprus received 54,557 Israeli tourists, representing growth of 92.9 per cent over two years.

Israeli visitors accounted for 18.1 per cent of all arrivals during the month, up from 14 per cent in September 2025 and 10.7 per cent two years earlier.

Israel alone contributed 25,134 additional arrivals compared with September last year, more than twice the overall increase of 10,254 tourists recorded across all markets. Without the additional Israeli visitors, arrivals from all other markets combined would have fallen by 14,880.

The United Kingdom remained Cyprus’ largest tourism market, accounting for 31.7 per cent of September arrivals, with 184,345 visitors.

British arrivals increased by 2.8 per cent from 179,293 in September 2025 and stood 1.9 per cent above the 180,961 recorded in September 2024.

Together, Britain and Israel accounted for almost half of all tourist arrivals during the month, underlining the extent to which September’s growth depended on the two markets.

Greece also contributed to the improvement, with arrivals rising by 16.1 per cent to 19,995, compared with 17,217 last year. The figure was 29.2 per cent higher than the 15,479 recorded in September 2024, reversing the 9.7 per cent annual decline reported in August.

Other markets continued to experience weaker demand. Poland, the island’s third-largest source of tourists during September, recorded a 7.5 per cent decline to 41,636 arrivals, while Germany saw numbers fall by 11.6 per cent to 30,362.

Despite the annual drop, German arrivals remained 23.5 per cent above their September 2024 level of 24,594.

Sweden recorded 18,656 visitors, down 9.3 per cent year-on-year and 13.7 per cent below its September 2024 total. Romania registered a sharper annual decline of 16.2 per cent to 15,058 arrivals, although the figure remained 2.4 per cent above the level recorded two years earlier.

Austria also saw arrivals decrease, falling by 13.8 per cent to 10,637, while the Netherlands recorded a 9 per cent decline to 7,121 visitors.

France experienced the steepest fall among the listed markets, with arrivals plunging by 48.9 per cent to 4,994, compared with 9,771 in September 2025. The figure was also almost half the 9,870 French visitors recorded in September 2024.

Other European markets proved more stable. Switzerland recorded 10,599 arrivals, down 0.6 per cent year-on-year, while Norway saw a decline of just 0.4 per cent to 9,457. Hungary recorded 8,991 visitors, down 2.9 per cent, while Denmark registered an 8.3 per cent decrease to 8,354.

Lebanon was another market to record growth, with arrivals rising by 8.9 per cent to 4,166, although the figure remained 7.7 per cent below September 2024. Countries grouped under other markets generated 101,269 arrivals, down 2.4 per cent year-on-year but 20.9 per cent above the level recorded two years earlier.

The figures suggest that the recovery remains uneven, with stronger demand from Israel, Britain and Greece compensating for continued weakness across several European markets.

Looking ahead, the Deputy Ministry of Tourism has already begun preparations for 2027, with Koumis saying “the objective is to maintain the sector’s strong performance while encouraging the return of visitors from geographical markets that recorded declines because of external factors”.

Beyond recovering lost business, the deputy ministry is seeking to strengthen the quality and sustainability of Cyprus’ tourism product.

Koumis concluded by stressing that “the government’s longer-term ambition is to ensure that tourism growth delivers tangible benefits to local communities”, while supporting the continued development of one of the country’s most important economic sectors.

Backlash against content creators includes restricted hours for filming and even outright bans

Stand in any vaguely photogenic spot these days on holiday and the chances are you will come across people posing with raised phones and even ring lights. Some may be influencers with huge audiences on social media, others just overkeen Instagram users. With hotels and beauty spots now so overrun, however, bans on photography are coming into place.

The five-star Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc in Antibes, known for its glamorous clientele, views of the Côte d’Azur and a stunning infinity pool, has brought in rules against photoshoots: no longer allowed without prior permission.

Portugal has once again shone at the European World Travel Awards – dubbed by the sector as ‘tourism Oscars’ – picking up no less than 32 trophies.  In addition to

The post Portugal shines yet again at tourism ‘Oscars’ appeared first on Portugal Resident.

We went aboard a cruise ship navigating some of the world's most dangerous waters. In the Arctic, drifting icebergs, sea ice, sudden storms and fierce winds make sailing unpredictable. Yet every year, around 100,000 cruise passengers travel to Greenland to explore its remote coastline and experience one of the world's last great wildernesses.

Operations at Chios Airport runway will be temporarily suspended from mid November 2026 to mid March 2027 due to upgrade of infrastructure works. According to an announcement by the Greek Civil Aviation Authority (HCAA) suspension is scheduled from Sunday night, November 15, 2026 to March 15, 2027, due to works to extend, improve and upgrade […]

The post Chios airport suspends operation for four months appeared first on Keep Talking Greece.

Visitors arriving at Lisbon Airport will benefit from a new fixed-fare taxi system from Thursday, October 15, designed to tackle overcharging, improve transparency and restore confidence in one of the

The post Lisbon Airport introduces fixed taxi fares to protect tourists appeared first on Portugal Resident.

The Algarve is putting its wines and vineyards in the spotlight as part of a campaign to attract visitors throughout the year. Between October 7 and 10, the region welcomed

The post Algarve wines take centre stage in year-round tourism drive appeared first on Portugal Resident.

The future of tourism and hospitality will be in the spotlight at Vale do Lobo on Thursday, October 22, when the Ireland Portugal Business Network (IPBN) hosts the fifth edition

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Lisbon has once again been named Europe’s Best Cruise Destination at the World Cruise Awards, securing the prestigious title for the third time. The Portuguese capital received the award at

The post Lisbon voted Europe’s best cruise destination for third time appeared first on Portugal Resident.

Two of the Algarve’s main tourism business associations have cleared the way for a merger that will create a new organisation representing around 1,300 members across the region. Members of

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What should have been an enjoyable ride in a wicker toboggan in Madeira yesterday turned into a nightmare for two British tourists after the men (carreiros) in charge of their

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The Ocean Race, the iconic ocean racing event and one of the toughest tests of a team in international sport, is to begin a new chapter in Portugal, with Porto

The post Porto is “new Atlantic home for The Ocean Race” appeared first on Portugal Resident.

A relatively small but energetic protest took place in Sines yesterday, organised by the ‘Hands Off the Alentejo Coast’ platform, which brings together 13 movements and associations from Grândola, Alcácer

The post ‘Hands Off Alentejo Coast’ platform brings together dozens of protesters in Sines appeared first on Portugal Resident.