Cruise ship arrivals at Limassol port in Cyprus crashed in 2024, falling by over 50 percent.
New data released this week show that cruise ship bookings fell from 200 to just 90, causing serious concern among industry leaders.
Officials claim tourists have been scared off by the conflict in Israel and instability in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Port authorities confirmed the cancellations but remain optimistic about a rebound next year.
DP World Limassol said they had already secured 145 bookings for 2025, and expect that figure to increase over the winter.
“We remain optimistic for a strong recovery in 2025 and 2026,” the company said in a statement.
Many tourists are believed to have postponed their trips to Cyprus, following implicit threats in the summer by Hezbollah’s then leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, to attack the country.
The former Hezbollah leader accused Cyrpus of allowing Israel to use airports and bases for military exercises.
In a televised address, he claimed: “The Cypriot government must be warned that opening Cypriot airports and bases for the Israeli enemy to target Lebanon means that the Cypriot government has become part of the war and the resistance (Hezbollah) will deal with it as part of the war.”
Meanwhile, the government in Nicosia has recently approved a national strategy for cruise tourism, aimed at making Cyprus a year-round destination for cruise ships.
A review of Cyprus’ ports and marinas, alongside infrastructure capabilities, will be completed by February.
The process will also focus on improving passenger embarkation and disembarkation procedures, security measures, as well as transport options to upgrade the cruise experience.
By June 2025, a detailed action plan will be rolled out, incorporating promotional initiatives and targeted advertising.
“We have an important cultural heritage in Cyprus, and we need to link it with cruising with specific actions,” Hadjimanolis said.
Cyprus is positioning itself as a luxury cruise destination, with its picturesque coastline and historic ports attracting high-end liners.
By 2024, the projected revenue for the cruise market in general is estimated to reach £14.7 m million, with an anticipated annual growth rate of 2.89 percent.