Larnaca and Paphos airports handled a combined 97,096 commercial flights in 2025, according to Eurostat data published Friday, as air travel demand in Cyprus continued to grow despite broader volatility across European aviation.

Larnaca Remains Cyprus’ Primary Aviation Hub

Larnaca accounted for the majority of Cyprus’ commercial flight traffic, with 73,226 flights recorded during the year. Paphos handled 23,870 flights, reflecting its smaller but significant role in the island’s tourism-driven aviation network.

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August Recorded The Highest Flight Volumes

Flight activity peaked during the summer travel season. August was the busiest month at both airports, with Larnaca recording 8,163 flights and Paphos 2,745.

Traffic eased only slightly in September, with 7,727 flights at Larnaca and 2,713 at Paphos. The figures indicate that high flight activity extended beyond the peak summer month.

February Marked The Annual Low

Flight activity fell to its lowest level in February, with 3,387 flights at Larnaca and 905 at Paphos. The pattern reflects the seasonal nature of Cyprus’ aviation market, where leisure travel accounts for a significant share of annual demand.

EU Commercial Flights Increased In 2025

Across the European Union, commercial flights reached 6.9 million in 2025, up 3.8% from 6.7 million in 2024, according to Eurostat. The increase continued the broader recovery in European air transport that has taken place since 2021.

Amsterdam Schiphol recorded the highest number of scheduled and non-scheduled flights among EU airports, with about 488,000. Paris Charles de Gaulle ranked second with 476,000, followed by Frankfurt Airport with 457,000.

Europe’s busiest airports continued to handle hundreds of thousands of commercial flights in 2025, with Amsterdam, Paris and Frankfurt leading the EU ranking. The list also includes major hubs in Spain, Germany, Italy, Greece, Denmark and Ireland.

Top 10 EU Airports For Commercial Flights In 2025

1. Amsterdam Schiphol: 488,000
2. Paris Charles de Gaulle: 476,000
3. Frankfurt/Main: 457,000
4. Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas: 423,000
5. Barcelona-El Prat: 356,000
6. Munich: 329,000
7. Rome Fiumicino: 320,000
8. Athens/Eleftherios Venizelos: 271,000
9. Copenhagen/Kastrup: 254,000
10. Dublin: 252,000

Amsterdam Schiphol recorded the highest number of commercial flights among EU airports in 2025, with 488,000 flights, narrowly ahead of Paris Charles de Gaulle at 476,000. Frankfurt/Main ranked third with 457,000.

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Spain accounted for two of the next three positions. Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas handled 423,000 commercial flights, while Barcelona-El Prat recorded 356,000. Munich and Rome Fiumicino followed with 329,000 and 320,000 respectively.

Athens/Eleftherios Venizelos ranked eighth with 271,000 flights, ahead of Copenhagen/Kastrup at 254,000 and Dublin at 252,000.

Athens Had The Highest Share Of Non-Scheduled Flights

Among the EU’s 10 busiest airports for commercial traffic, Athens/Eleftherios Venizelos recorded the highest proportion of non-scheduled flights at 5.2%. Madrid-Barajas followed with 4.8%, while Copenhagen/Kastrup recorded 4.1%.

The figures show that scheduled services accounted for the vast majority of commercial flights at the EU’s busiest airports in 2025.

Travellers are increasingly using holidays to learn practical skills, from cooking and music to nature activities, in a trend known as “skillcations”.

A survey of 1,000 Americans by IHG Hotels & Resorts and Talker Research found that 47% were interested in taking a skillcation, while 68% believed the experience could be life-changing.

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Younger Travellers Lead The Shift

Younger consumers are driving the trend. Some 41% of Gen Z and Millennials said they had already taken a skillcation, compared with 16% of Baby Boomers.

Digital detox is another part of the appeal, with 68% of respondents saying they would consider completely unplugging during a skillcation. Among Gen Z, the figure rose to 83%.

Respondents also said these trips increased their confidence, encouraged them to try new activities and gave their holidays greater meaning.

Cooking Remains The Most Popular Choice

Cooking was the leading skillcation activity, with 37% of respondents interested in a trip centred on culinary learning. Hotels are responding with classes that combine practical skills with local food and culture.

Kimpton Shorebreak Hotel in California offers pie-making classes, while Six Senses Crans-Montana provides traditional Swiss cheesemaking experiences. At Jade Mountain Resort in St. Lucia, guests can learn vegan Creole cooking using local ingredients.

Other programmes focus on culture and nature. Crowne Plaza Resort Saipan offers ukulele lessons featuring local songs, while InterContinental Dominica Cabrits Resort & Spa organises birdwatching focused on native parrots.

Hotels Expand Learning-Based Experiences

The growing range of activities allows hotels to incorporate local food, music, wildlife and other cultural experiences into their offerings. For travellers, skillcations combine leisure with an activity they can continue after returning home.

For the hospitality industry, these programmes provide another way to differentiate the guest experience as consumers increasingly look for activities and experiences alongside accommodation.

British households are now carrying £6 billion ($8.18 billion) in unpaid energy debt and arrears, a warning sign that the country’s household energy crisis is deepening just as bills are set to rise again.

Price Cap To Hit Three-Year High

Industry group EnergyUK said the updated figure was shared with journalists ahead of Ofgem’s expected announcement this week of a 4 per cent increase in the domestic price cap, which would lift it to a three-year high.

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The debt estimate reflects balances outstanding at the end of June 2026, according to the group.

Unpaid Bills Are Raising Costs For Everyone

Unrecovered energy debt is not absorbed by suppliers. Instead, it is spread across all consumer bills, adding about £50 a year, or roughly 3 per cent, to the typical household energy bill.

EnergyUK warned that, without intervention, the total could climb to £7 billion by year-end.

Policy Action Has Stalled

Ofgem has been examining options to support consumers struggling with debt, but a proposed scheme to write off £500 million for the poorest customers has stalled because it requires new government legislation.

That delay leaves regulators and policymakers facing a familiar trade-off: how to protect vulnerable households without further burdening the wider customer base.

Wholesale Markets Remain The Key Pressure Point

Wholesale energy prices, which have surged this year amid the Iran war, remain the largest driver of domestic energy costs. The price cap is reset quarterly through a formula that also takes account of suppliers’ network costs and environmental and social levies.

For households already struggling with higher living costs, the latest increase underscores a broader reality: energy debt is no longer a niche problem at the margins of the market, but a structural pressure shaping bills for millions of consumers.

Greece recorded a primary surplus of €5.77 billion in the first seven months of 2026, exceeding the €4.42 billion target set in the state budget, according to budget execution data released this week.

The broader state budget balance showed a €344 million deficit for the period, significantly below the €1.32 billion shortfall projected in the budget.

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Revenue Exceeds Forecast

Net state budget revenue reached €45.26 billion, €2.03 billion above target. Even after excluding €884 million received earlier than scheduled from the Recovery and Resilience Facility, revenue remained €2.40 billion, or 5.7%, above the revised target.

Tax revenue excluding exceptional items stood at €42.35 billion, €990 million above forecast. VAT generated €17.74 billion, while income tax brought in €15.07 billion. Excise duties were weaker, falling €224 million short of target at €3.96 billion.

Transfers generated €4.22 billion, €91 million above target, while other current revenues reached €1.87 billion, €455 million above expectations.

Exceptional Payments Affect Comparisons

Several timing differences and one-off receipts affected the comparison with the budget. These included €135 million from a casino concession at Elliniko and €306 million in VAT related to the 35-year Egnatia motorway concession.

The government also recorded €510 million in public investment programme payments that differed from the original timing, along with €406 million in delayed transfers to general government entities. After adjusting for these items and the casino payment, the primary surplus was €302 million above target.

Officials noted that the primary balance calculated on a fiscal basis differs from the cash-based figure and that the data cover central government rather than the entire general government sector.

Spending And Investment Increase

State spending reached €45.60 billion in the first seven months, €1.05 billion above the budget target and €4.92 billion higher than a year earlier.

Major expenditures included €1.24 billion for the National Organisation for the Provision of Health Services, €1.82 billion for welfare benefits and €915 million for medicines and healthcare supplies. Hospitals and primary healthcare facilities received another €801 million, while public transport organisations received €244 million.

Investment spending rose particularly strongly to €7.60 billion, €855 million above target and €1.47 billion higher than in the same period of 2025. The increase was largely linked to faster implementation of projects financed through the Recovery and Resilience Facility.

July Revenue Beats Monthly Target

July net revenue reached €9.25 billion, €946 million above the monthly target. Public investment programme receipts exceeded the forecast by €363 million, while the state also received €234 million from the Modernisation Fund that had not been included in the 2026 budget projection.

Tax revenue reached €8.97 billion, €406 million or 4.7% above target. VAT receipts were €167 million higher than forecast, while income tax revenue exceeded expectations by €147 million. Public investment programme revenue totalled €418 million in July, compared with a budget target of €55 million.

The figures show stronger-than-budgeted revenue collection alongside higher investment spending during the first seven months of 2026.

UK searches for “walking holiday” have risen 60% year on year as travellers increasingly seek slower trips that combine outdoor activity with local experiences. In destinations facing overcrowding, walking can also spread visitors beyond the busiest sites and bring spending to smaller communities.

Walking Can Spread Tourism Beyond Hotspots

“Overtourism isn’t just about numbers, it’s about concentration,” said Annie Antonatou, a Greek-based walking holiday specialist. She argues that routes across villages, trails and smaller islands can reduce pressure on major attractions while directing more visitors to family-run guesthouses, ferries, bakeries and tavernas.

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Veriano Verde, a guide for Exodus Adventure Travels who grew up near the Amalfi Coast, said walking also allows visitors to experience communities beyond the main tourist routes.

Amalfi Coast Offers Alternative To Day-Trip Crowds

The Path of the Gods is one of Verde’s recommended routes, combining coastal views with villages, local farms and encounters with residents. In Amalfi, he suggests visiting nearby Atrani rather than limiting a trip to the Piazza del Duomo.

Spring and autumn are the preferred seasons, while winter offers fewer visitors. A seven-day guided walking holiday with Exodus Adventure Travels starts at £1,469 (€1,715) per person, excluding flights.

Santorini And The Cyclades Beyond The Caldera

Annie Antonatou recommends combining the popular Santorini caldera with walks on Naxos, Sifnos, Milos, Andros and Tinos. Routes include the Fira to Oia coastal trail and Mount Zas on Naxos, the highest point in the Cyclades.

She said walking trips allow visitors to spend more time with local communities, experience regional food and see traditional agriculture rather than moving quickly between major landmarks.

The preferred periods are late March to early June and September to November. A week-long self-guided Santorini and Naxos trip through No Footprint and Responsible Travel starts at £550 (€642) per person, excluding flights.

Algarve Trails Focus On The Southwest Coast

The Algarve’s Fishermen’s Trail provides access to quieter parts of Portugal’s southwest coast. The 78km route from Porto Covo to Odeceixe forms part of the 450km Rota Vicentina network.

Ricardo Estêvão of Vincentina Travel said walkers often remember encounters with fishermen, café owners and family-run restaurants as much as the landscape.

The strongest periods are March to June and September to November, with summer avoided to reduce pressure on local communities. A seven-day self-guided trip starts at £420 (€490) per person, excluding flights.

Croatia Combines Historic Sites And Coastal Trails

Croatia’s Dalmatian Coast offers routes linking Dubrovnik, Mljet and the Pelješac Peninsula. Visitors can walk through the historic town of Ston and its vineyards, explore Mljet National Park and hike Mount Srđ above Dubrovnik.

September and October coincide with the grape harvest in Konavle and Pelješac. Travellers visiting Dubrovnik’s city walls can also reduce crowding by going before 9 am or after 4 pm.

A seven-day self-guided walking holiday through Responsible Travel starts at £844 (€985) per person, excluding flights.

Walking Expands The Tourism Season

Walking holidays can help destinations spread visitor activity beyond major landmarks and peak summer periods. For travellers, the format offers access to smaller communities, local businesses and landscapes that are often missed on conventional sightseeing trips.

For destinations facing concentrated tourism demand, it can provide another way to distribute visitors and spending across a wider area.

Retirement ages across the European Union range from 57 for some early-retirement schemes in Luxembourg to 67 in several member states. Most countries set the standard pension age between 60 and 67, while separate rules can apply based on gender, profession or contribution history.

As populations age and pension systems face greater financial pressure, governments have been gradually raising retirement thresholds. Cyprus currently sets the standard pensionable age at 65, while retirement at 63 results in a 12% pension reduction.

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Some Countries Allow Earlier Retirement

Luxembourg permits early retirement from 57 for people who have completed 480 months of mandatory contributions. Slovenia allows retirement at 60 with 40 years of insurance, while Greece permits retirement at 62 for workers with 40 years of coverage.

Hungary has a separate scheme under which women can qualify for a full pension after 40 qualifying years regardless of age. Portugal also allows some professions, including miners, quarry workers, ballet professionals and air traffic controllers, to retire from 45.

Retirement Ages Are Rising Across The EU

Belgium’s retirement age is 66 and will reach 67 in 2030, while France is gradually moving to 64. Germany is increasing its threshold from 65 to 67, with the transition continuing until 2029.

Italy sets the standard retirement age at 67 with at least 20 years of contributions. Croatia and Latvia use 65, while Lithuania is moving to 65 for both men and women. Estonia reached 65 in 2026 and will adjust the age according to life expectancy.

The Netherlands will raise its statutory retirement age to 67 years and three months in 2028. Poland retains different thresholds of 60 for women and 65 for men, while Romania sets retirement at 65 for men and 62 for women.

Slovakia’s retirement age was 64 years and one month as of July 2025. The Czech Republic links retirement age to year of birth, with the highest threshold reaching 67.

Nordic Systems Add Different Rules

Sweden uses several age thresholds for pension benefits. Public pension payments can begin at 63, while basic protection starts at 66 and workplace protections change at 69. From 2027, a formal reference age will be introduced and linked to the basic protection threshold.

Cyprus Remains At 65

Cyprus remains within the broad European range with a standard pensionable age of 65. Workers can retire at 63, but their pension is reduced by 12%.

Across Europe, pension systems increasingly combine age thresholds with contribution requirements and life-expectancy adjustments, while separate provisions remain for certain professions and groups.

Zurich is Europe’s most expensive city for buying an apartment in the centre, with prices averaging €22,910 per square metre, according to Deutsche Bank Research Institute’s Mapping the World’s Prices 2026.

Geneva ranks second at €19,439 per square metre, followed by London at €17,241. An 80-square-metre apartment would therefore cost about €1.83 million in Zurich, €1.56 million in Geneva and €1.38 million in London.

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Paris And Vienna Complete Top Five

Paris ranks fourth at €12,771 per square metre, making central London about 35% more expensive. Vienna follows at €12,483.

Munich is Germany’s most expensive market at €11,435 per square metre. Luxembourg, Copenhagen, Stockholm and Oslo also rank among Europe’s 10 most expensive cities, with prices ranging from €11,011 in Luxembourg to €9,785 in Oslo.

Milan and Amsterdam are slightly cheaper at €9,378 and €9,273 respectively, while Helsinki ranks 13th at €8,431.

Central European Cities Narrow The Gap

Prague is also approaching Western European markets, with central property averaging €8,352 per square metre. Madrid follows at €7,831 and Berlin at €7,613, while Rome averages €7,328.

Dublin and Frankfurt remain above €7,000 per square metre at €7,185 and €7,162. Lisbon and Barcelona are lower at €6,636 and €6,485.

Istanbul And Athens Among The Cheapest

Istanbul is the least expensive European city in the survey at €2,646 per square metre, followed by Athens at €3,442. Brussels ranks third from the bottom among the 28 European cities at €4,380. Birmingham averages €4,671 per square metre, while Budapest, Warsaw and Edinburgh range from €5,243 to €5,708.

The average across the 28 European cities is €9,090 per square metre. An 80-square-metre apartment would therefore cost about €727,000, while only four cities exceed €1 million for a property of that size.

Hong Kong Is The World’s Most Expensive

Across all 69 cities in the report, Hong Kong ranks first at €23,790 per square metre. Zurich and Seoul follow at €22,910 and €21,897 respectively. At the other end, Cairo is the least expensive city surveyed at €784 per square metre, followed by Johannesburg at €913.

The report combines data from Numbeo and Deutsche Bank, with prices converted into euros using European Central Bank average exchange rates for the first half of 2026.

Meta’s $18 billion settlement with attorneys general from 29 U.S. states includes a provision limiting future state claims over the company’s use of children’s data for age-assurance systems.

Under the agreement, Meta must develop, train and begin testing a system to identify users under 13 within a year of the settlement taking effect. The company already uses AI-based age-detection tools, although the agreement does not require the new system to use AI.

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States Agree To Limits On Future Claims

The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) generally restricts the collection and retention of personal data from children under 13. Under the settlement, the 29 state attorneys general agreed not to bring past, present or future claims under COPPA or similar state laws over the specified use of children’s data.

Meta will not be permitted to use information from users under 13 for advertising, marketing or algorithmic optimisation.

Federal Enforcement Remains Unclear

COPPA is primarily enforced by the Federal Trade Commission, which is not a party to the agreement. That leaves open the possibility of separate federal action over how Meta collects or uses children’s data.

Another issue is whether Meta can keep age-assurance data isolated from its other systems. An independent auditor will monitor compliance, but the settlement does not fully specify what data Meta can retain for training, how long it can be stored or whether derived insights can be used elsewhere.

Legal Risks Remain

Joshua Wurtzel, a partner at Schlam Stone & Dolan, said states could still pursue claims if Meta uses the data outside the settlement’s limits. Such cases could depend on how those limits are interpreted.

Peter Jackson, a data and intellectual property attorney at Greenberg Glusker, said the provision could “disincentivize future enforcement actions.”

The agreement gives Meta greater legal certainty around using children’s data for age assurance, but questions remain over federal enforcement, data retention and secondary use.

Cyprus and Kazakhstan are seeking to expand economic and business cooperation following President Nikos Christodoulides’ official visit to Astana in June, the first visit by a Cypriot president to Kazakhstan.

The two countries see opportunities for closer commercial ties, with Cyprus offering access to the EU and eurozone markets and Kazakhstan serving as a major economic and transport hub in Central Asia.

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Shipping, Energy And Technology Among Key Areas

According to the Presidency, the two sides identified prospects for cooperation in shipping, transport, energy, technology, cybersecurity, healthcare and tourism. Both governments also see potential for developing projects that could produce concrete results for businesses in the two markets.

Cyprus’ position within the EU and its eurozone membership could support access to European markets, while Kazakhstan’s geographic position offers opportunities for Cypriot companies seeking to expand in Central Asia.

First Presidential Visit To Kazakhstan

Christodoulides’ trip to Astana in early June was the first official visit by a president of Cyprus to Kazakhstan. The Presidency said the visit created a more structured framework for bilateral economic and business cooperation.

Beyond trade and investment, the two countries also reaffirmed their political ties. The Presidency highlighted Kazakhstan’s support for the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of the Republic of Cyprus, in line with the UN Charter and relevant Security Council resolutions.

Kazakhstan Awards State Distinction To Christodoulides

During the visit, Christodoulides received Kazakhstan’s Order of Friendship, which the Presidency described as the country’s highest state distinction.

The award was presented as recognition of the existing bilateral relationship and the two countries’ intention to deepen cooperation further.