Hoteliers Challenge British Tabloid Reports On Reduced Bookings in Cyprus

Recent claims by the British tabloid Daily Express about a significant drop in tourist bookings in Cyprus have been refuted by local hoteliers. The tabloid’s report, which describes a “crisis” potentially costing the sector £30 million, has been labelled as outdated by Philokypros Roussounides, Director General of the Cyprus Hotels Association (CHA). According to Roussounides, the article references data from several months ago and does not reflect current realities, such as the addition of new flights and stable tourist arrivals matching last year’s levels.

Chrysemili Psilogeni, General Manager of the Association of Cyprus Travel Agents (ACTA), acknowledged a decline in bookings earlier this year but noted that airport arrivals have recently increased. However, she pointed out that arrivals do not necessarily equate to hotel bookings, as tourists often opt for short-term rentals or stay in the island’s Turkish-occupied areas.

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Resilience and Future Prospects

Roussounides emphasised the resilience of the tourism sector amid ongoing challenges, including geopolitical instability. He underscored the importance of continuing to invest in and strengthen the sector to maintain and improve current levels of tourist arrivals.

Meanwhile, Psilogeni highlighted the need to attract higher-quality tourism and extend the tourist season to enhance the sector’s sustainability. This approach aims to counterbalance any potential fluctuations in tourist numbers and expenditure due to external economic pressures.

Government and Industry Response

The Deputy Minister of Tourism, Kostas Koumis, had previously expressed optimism that tourism targets would be met based on data from the first four months of the year. His comments align with the industry’s cautious optimism, reflecting a broader confidence in Cyprus’s ability to weather short-term setbacks and continue its trajectory of tourism growth.

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Only 1% Of Cyprus Farms Use Precision Farming Technologies

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

July 24, 2026

Cyprus remains one of the European Union’s least digitised agricultural economies, with just 1% of farms using precision farming technologies in 2023, according to Eurostat.

The findings come as the EU continues to encourage the adoption of digital tools aimed at improving agricultural productivity, efficiency and sustainability.

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Internet Access Expands, But Digital Uptake Lags

Internet access has improved across the bloc, although adoption remains uneven. Eurostat found that 43% of EU farms had internet access in 2023, with northern and central European countries leading the way.

Denmark, Germany, Slovakia, Latvia, the Czech Republic and Austria all reported internet access rates above 90%.

Greater connectivity, however, has not translated into widespread digital adoption. Farm management information systems, which help farmers manage day-to-day operations, were used by only about 11% of EU farms. France was a notable exception, with around 60% of farms using the technology.

Precision Farming Concentrated In Larger Operations

Robotics adoption also remained relatively limited, with only about 7% of EU farms using robotic technologies. Overall, around 18% of farms with utilised agricultural area employed at least one precision farming technology or practice in 2023.

These included robotics for plant protection, band spraying, variable-rate application, precision crop monitoring and soil analysis. Despite representing fewer than one in five farms, these holdings accounted for around 44% of the EU’s utilised agricultural area.

The figures suggest that precision farming remains concentrated among larger agricultural businesses, where investment in digital technologies is typically easier to support.

Cyprus Lags Behind EU Leaders

Luxembourg, Finland and Estonia recorded the highest shares of utilised agricultural area managed by farms using precision farming technologies, each exceeding 75%.

At the other end of the ranking, Cyprus recorded just 1%, while Greece and Romania reported between 10% and 15%. The results indicate that Cyprus remains at an early stage of digital adoption in agriculture, even as precision farming becomes more widespread across parts of the European Union.

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