Cyprus Holidays Dip After Drone Incident
Holiday bookings to Cyprus have slowed after the island was briefly drawn into tensions linked to the conflict involving Iran. Earlier this month an Iranian drone landed at RAF Akrotiri, a British military base on the island. The incident triggered temporary disruption, including the short closure of the airport, several cancelled flights and the closure of a number of British schools operating in Cyprus.
Despite the event, Cyprus has not been removed from the UK’s safe travel list. Flights have returned to normal levels and daily life on the island continues without major disruption. The UK Foreign Office notes that regional tensions could still affect travel, but officials in Cyprus stress that the situation across the country remains stable and that normal activities have resumed.
Local tourism businesses have nevertheless noticed a drop in bookings. Hotel owners report a wave of cancellations, mostly linked to upcoming spring holidays. Some operators say reservations have fallen compared with the same period last year, particularly for March and April. Industry figures suggest uncertainty surrounding the regional situation has prompted many visitors, especially from Britain, to reconsider travel plans.
Travel connections between the UK and Cyprus remain active
- Around 125 scheduled flights link the UK and Cyprus over the Easter holiday period
- Airlines expect about 25,000 passengers on these services
- Some seven-night holiday packages start around £169
- Two-week stays can be found under £300
- Low-cost flights are advertised from about £25 each way
“We've had around 200 cancellations this month. Most of the cancellations, I would say about 90 per cent, are all for March, about 10 per cent for April."
The island continues to offer beach resorts, historic towns and coastal landscapes that usually draw large numbers of visitors every spring. With air traffic returning to previous levels and tourism infrastructure operating normally, officials expect the summer season to proceed as planned. The recent slowdown highlights how quickly geopolitical events can influence holiday decisions, even when everyday conditions in the destination remain largely unchanged.