With the market appearing somewhat numbed at the moment, hoteliers are hoping that an extension to Brexit will help keep numbers high as the UK is the island’s biggest market by far.

Brussels has given Britain until October this year to make its mind up, pleasing the Cyprus Hotel Association who believe this will reignite interest from British tourists for summer holidays on the island.

Zacharias Ioannides, Cyprus Hotel Association's (PASYXE) Director-General said that some areas are lagging behind, compared to last year, with their bookings currently down by up to 15%.

"However, we are witnessing occupancies rate gathering pace. The extension from Brussels to Teresa May until October gives our tourism some breathing space,” said PASYXE's Ioannides. He said that as long as there is no turbulence in the exchange rate, there will be a “further boost in bookings”. Ioannides, said, however, that competition from rival destinations is expected to be more intense this year.

According to PASYXE, at the moment there are plenty of available rooms in coastal and mountain resorts, with plenty of good deals for local and foreign visitors. Ioannides stated that special offers start from €17.50 per person for a one-bedroom apartment and from €16.00 per person for a double room.

The association said that a list of attractive offers for the summer period can be found on the websites of PASYXE, Bank of Cyprus and the Deputy Ministry of Tourism.

Source: Financial Mirror