War Takes a Toll on Tourism in Greece and Cyprus: "Slow Start to the Season"

The regional war in the Middle East has gripped Greece and Cyprus just before the start of the spring-summer 2026 tourist season. The season opens this year under the heavy shadow of regional tensions. In an exclusive interview with PassportNews, Kyriakos Kotsoglou, deputy governor of Crete and a senior official in the island's tourism industry, says that the situation is complex, but also hopeful.

Photo: Private album

“There is a slowdown, even almost a standstill in orders,” he admits at the beginning of our conversation. “Life here continues as usual. The spring, the blossoms, everything is as beautiful as always, but when you compare it to last year’s orders, you see a clear decline. It’s noticeable. If the war hadn’t broken out, we would have been on track for another record year. But reality has changed.”

What about aviation activity?

"There are no flight cancellations from the airlines. Everything is planned as usual. The problem is mainly with the pace of bookings."

Photo: SHUTTERSTOCK

In the last 24 hours, there have been reports of an imminent end to the war. Do you believe that the recovery will be quick?

"Definitely yes. We saw it with Corona. They said the recovery would last until 2028, and in fact we were back in 2022. In 2023 we even grew."

"Cyprus Suffers More"

The damage is not only felt in Greece, but also in neighboring Cyprus, where the British military base in Akrotiri was recently hit. "Compared to other countries in the region, Greece is in a good middle ground," he says. "In Cyprus, there are many more cancellations, and this is despite the fact that life there is completely normal, but the feeling from the outside is of danger - and that is what dictates the decisions of tourists."

According to him, countries like Egypt, Jordan, and Turkey are also significantly affected: "Sometimes the feeling is stronger than the reality - and that's what hurts tourism."

Limassol, Cyprus. Photo: Shutterstock

Finally, Katsoglou returns to his island, and tries to bring the focus back to what really matters: the experience. "Crete has many faces. The north, touristy and developed. The south, authentic and calm. And the interior, the mountains, the culture, the roots of the Minoan civilization, that's what we want to show you when you return."

And what about summer?

"The beaches are amazing, the mountains are still snowy, the hotels are getting ready, everyone is working towards a good, quiet summer."