There has been “no wave of cancellations” of tourist bookings in Cyprus in recent days while the conflict Israel and Iran has escalated, Cyprus chamber of commerce and industry (Keve) chairman Philokypros Rousounides said on Tuesday.

Speaking to the Cyprus Mail, the former head of the Hoteliers Association said that while “geopolitical disturbances in our neighbourhood” have created “less than favourable conditions” for Cyprus’ tourism, tourism levels and bookings have thus far remained stable.

“We already find ourselves in the middle of the tourist season, as it is June, and people for the most part have already made bookings for the summer. There has been no wave of cancellations here, so at present, things are holding up well and we are looking at healthy numbers,” he said.

Now, he said, Cypriot tourism companies are “keeping a low profile” so as to not attract unwanted attention and potentially suffer negative consequences from being perceived as close to or involved in the conflict.

“Of course, the conditions in the region are not favourable for us at present, and in the longer term, they do have the potential to harm tourism to Cyprus, but for now, we have not had a wave of cancellations and things are holding up,” he said.

Earlier, association of Cyprus tourist enterprises (Stek) chairman Akis Vavlitis had told business news website Stockwatch that “for now, the flow of bookings from Britain and other European countries is at satisfactory levels”.

However, he said, bookings from Israel have “been frozen”, while some Israelis who had made bookings for July and August have now begun to cancel their holidays.

As such, he said Stek would have a meeting with the tourism deputy minister on Wednesday to “examine the situation and the measures which should be taken in the event that the conflict between Israel and Iran escalates”.

On Friday, United Kingdom’s foreign office had updated its travel advisory for UK nationals visiting Cyprus, with more British nationals visiting Cyprus for holidays than those of any other country.

The foreign office wrote that “ongoing hostilities in the region and between Israel and Iran could escalate quickly and pose security risks for the wider region”.

It added that UK nationals in Cyprus should “monitor local and international media for the latest information” and “be vigilant and follow the instructions of local authorities”.

In addition, it warned that “there is a high threat of terrorist attack globally affecting UK interests and British nationals, including from groups and individuals who view the UK and British nationals as targets”.

“Although there is no recent history of terrorism in Cyprus, attacks cannot be ruled out,” it added.