Cypriot tourism is recording some cancellations due to the ongoing conflict in Israel, according to the tourism deputy minister Kostas Koumis, but not many.

Koumis was speaking at the opening of a new hotel in Paphos, and said Israel is the second largest tourist market in Cyprus.

“We are coming towards the end of the tourist season and therefore the effects are decreasing … but we are recording losses. It is clear that there may not be too many cancellations, but cancellations are being recorded,” he said.

He added his wishes for the conflict to end as soon as possible.

At the same event, he said his deputy ministry is performing “unstoppable” work to increase tourism from other markets, saying he has recently travelled to France and the Middle East and will visit the United Kingdom in two weeks.

“The work is non-stop towards so many markets. Our responsibility is to make up for any gaps which open up, as this year we had to make up for the gap in the Russian market,” he said.

He said it is not easy for Cyprus to open up new tourism markets “as we are a mature destination” but said his deputy ministry is targeting the Central Asian region and added that he will “see what other opportunities may arise over the coming weeks and months”.

He also said tourists are now “very demanding”, expecting modern and functional facilities, quality services, and high levels of service from the destinations to which they travel.