President Nikos Christodoulides on Tuesday praised hotels for increasing tourist  revenue despite the recent crisis in the Middle East and the broader global geopolitical environment.

“With great satisfaction, we see the entire sector experiencing another good tourist year, even though we went through 12 difficult days that troubled us all,” Christodoulides said at the annual general meeting of the Cyprus Hotels Association.

Flights bound to and from Isreal helped boost numbers with stranded passengers needing hotel nights.

The period between January and May saw an increase of 14.9 per cent in the number of arrivals and a 58.4 per cent increase on 2022 figures, he said.

“These performances prove the resilience, dynamics, and prospects of Cypriot tourism,” he added.

Tourism revenue from January to March of 2025 also saw a nearly 25 per cent increase.

“The numbers I mentioned are the result of the organised effort we are making to compensate for the losses caused by unforeseen international events, which affected our important tourism markets, such as Russia and Israel,” Christodoulides continued.

Israeli tourists made up 426,000 arrivals and spent more per capita than any other nationality in 2024.

Christodoulides also talked about the “valuable humanitarian role” the Republic plays as an EU state in the region.

“In crises, the Republic of Cyprus has proved that it has become a safe destination for tens, hundreds and thousands of people from every corner of the planet who are seeking safety, protection and rest,” he said.

Christodoulides said that this response is part of the Republic’s foreign policy approach, which seeks to “act with actions and not with words”.

He outlined the importance of sustainable tourism development, the need for more geographic diffusion of tourism, and tourism education as key priorities for 2025.

He highlighted Cyprus’ upcoming six-month presidency of the Council of the European Union as a “first-class opportunity to showcase Cypriot hospitality and other comparative advantages,” as well as put a spotlight on major challenges facing the tourism sector.

“I am sure that if we continue together with an eye on the future as to where we want to go and what we want to achieve and invest in even more sustainable tourism development, I have no doubt that Cypriot tourism will remain resilient and competitive in the coming decades,” Christodoulides concluded.