Limassol Hotels See August Bookings Recover To Last Year’s Levels

by News Editor

August 12, 2026

Hotel occupancy in Limassol has reached around 90% in August, bringing the city’s performance back in line with last year, according to PASYXE Limassol President Christos Tsanos.

Last-minute bookings have played a key role in the recovery, with demand strengthening particularly during the week of August 10-17. Domestic travellers have also contributed to the increase, helping hotels across the city and district reach current occupancy levels.

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Late Bookings Drive Summer Recovery

Tsanos said the strong role of last-minute reservations was the defining feature of this year’s tourism season. He added that the latest figures confirm his earlier expectation that the negative impact of the war in Iran would gradually ease.

In late June, Tsanos had forecast a recovery in tourist traffic following changes to travel advisories in several countries. At the time, however, he warned that a strong summer alone would not be enough to offset weaker periods earlier in the year.

Hotels Keep Prices Mostly Stable

Most Limassol hotels have kept their prices close to last year’s levels, with increases generally limited to no more than 5%.

Tsanos said the approach was intended to support both the domestic market and international visitors considering a return to Limassol. With the city attracting a large share of higher-income tourists, he added that maintaining high service standards remains particularly important.

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Europe’s Busiest Ports Show The Scale Of Maritime Trade

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

September 7, 2026

Maritime transport carried roughly 13 billion tonnes of goods worldwide in 2024, highlighting its central role in global trade and supply chains. EU ports handled about 3.4 billion tonnes, or 26% of the global total, while nearly 90% of the bloc’s external freight trade is carried by sea.

Rotterdam And Antwerp-Bruges Lead The EU

Rotterdam was the EU’s busiest port in 2024, handling 397.3 million tonnes of goods. Antwerp-Bruges ranked second with 243.7 million tonnes, putting the two northern European hubs well ahead of the rest.

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Hamburg ranked third at 97 million tonnes, followed by Spain’s Algeciras at 81.5 million tonnes and Amsterdam at 78.8 million tonnes. France’s HAROPA port complex, covering Le Havre and Rouen, handled 76.6 million tonnes, while Gdansk recorded 71 million tonnes.

Marseille and Valencia followed with 66 million and 64.5 million tonnes, respectively. Romania’s Constanta completed the top 10 at 57.6 million tonnes, reflecting the Black Sea’s role in Europe’s wider trade network.

Europe’s Second Tier Of Major Ports

Several ports handled between 40 million and 56 million tonnes in 2024. Barcelona recorded 55.5 million tonnes, followed by Trieste at 53.5 million, Genoa at 47.4 million and Sines at 44.1 million.

Piraeus handled 43.7 million tonnes, while Germany’s Bremerhaven recorded 42.5 million. Sweden’s Göteborg handled 38.5 million tonnes and Dunkerque in France 36.8 million.

Netherlands Leads By National Port Volume

Looking at total cargo across each country’s ports, the Netherlands ranked first with 538.1 million tonnes in 2024. Italy followed with 488.6 million tonnes and Spain with 486 million tonnes, putting all three well ahead of the rest of the EU.

Belgium ranked fourth at 274.9 million tonnes, followed by Germany at 273.9 million and France at 269.8 million. Greece, Sweden and Poland each handled more than 100 million tonnes, showing the breadth of Europe’s maritime network.

Turkey Expands The Regional Picture

Including EU candidate countries and EFTA members puts Turkey in second place with 524.7 million tonnes, behind the Netherlands. Norway ranked eighth with 212.1 million tonnes and handled 212.1 million tonnes.

The European Commission has described maritime transport as a long-standing driver of European economic development. Its role now extends beyond moving cargo, with ports increasingly tied to supply chains, energy security and industrial policy.

In March 2026, the Commission adopted two strategies focused on competitiveness, sustainability, security and resilience across the EU’s waterborne sector, including ports, shipping and shipbuilding.

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