Limassol hotel occupancy reaches 90 per cent in August on late bookings surge

Hotels in Limassol have reached around 90 per cent occupancy in August, matching last year’s booking levels as a rise in last-minute reservations helped the city recover from earlier concerns over the summer season.

“The key feature of this year is that of last-minute bookings, and the figures confirm what we said at the end of June,” president of the Limassol branch of the Cyprus Hotel Association (Pasyxe) Christos Tsanos told the Cyprus News Agency (CNA).

“August is performing at the same booking levels as August 2025,” he added.

Moreover, Tsanos said occupancy levels across Limassol city and district were currently at around 90 per cent for August.

He further stated that bookings had been strengthened during the August 10-17 period, particularly through increased demand from the domestic tourism market.

The latest figures appear to confirm expectations expressed by Limassol hoteliers in June that last-minute bookings could help reverse a deterioration in the tourism climate following the war in neighbouring Iran.

On June 23, Tsanos had expressed optimism that the situation could improve following revisions to travel advisories issued by several countries.

At the time, he had also said he expected summer occupancy rates to be considerably better than initially forecast, while cautioning that “the three months do not save an entire year”.

The latest figures suggest that the summer peak has nevertheless delivered a stronger performance than initially feared.

Tsanos said the sector’s reliance on late bookings had been a defining feature of the 2026 tourism season, with demand strengthening as the summer progressed.

Hotel pricing has also been kept relatively close to last year’s levels, according to Tsanos.

“We kept prices at similar levels to last year in many cases, with any increases not exceeding 5 per cent, a good tactic to help both the local tourist and others who are interested in returning to our city,” he said.

The decision to limit price increases was aimed at supporting demand from both domestic visitors and tourists returning to Limassol, he said.

Tsanos also highlighted the particular profile of visitors to Limassol, saying the city primarily attracts higher-income tourists with greater expectations.

This makes maintaining service standards particularly important for hotels in the district.

“You have to maintain high levels of your services,” Tsanos said, referring to the expectations of the market Limassol serves.

The August performance provides a stronger picture of the peak summer period than earlier bookings had suggested, although Tsanos’ June warning that the summer months alone could not compensate for a weaker year remains relevant to the overall tourism picture.