Over 800 civil weddings – mostly of foreigners – were celebrated in the Akamas municipality last year, with a higher number expected in 2025, civil marriage officer Maria Yiangou told the Cyprus Mail on Tuesday.

While 820 were held in 2024, that number is expected to further increase both in 2025 and 2026, and the following year too. Reservations for 2028 are set to begin soon.

“Fifteen per cent of income generated by tourism in the area comes from civil weddings,” Yiangou said.

The largest groups getting married in the municipality are from Britain, Poland and Israel, with most between March and November.

Yiangou added that the high interest in civil weddings in Akamas was due to the “beautiful beaches and mountain sides sceneries, the isolated shores of Ayios Georgios, Coral Bay, Akamas, Peyia and Kissonerga.”

People also choose to get married in private villas, hotel units, gardens like Paliomonastiro and restaurants.

She called on the deputy tourism ministry to help the municipality to further promote civil weddings as they are a huge part of the island’s revenue.

“There should be exhibitions abroad organised to promote civil weddings in Akamas and generally in Cyprus to attract more tourists to the island,” Yiangou said.