Brit tourists have canceled holidays to Cyprus in the wake of Iranian drone attacks – with the island’s hotel bookings falling by 40 per cent.
Shocking pictures show deserted streets and beaches at Easter – just weeks after the horrific attack RAF Akrotiri amid Middle East war.
The US-Israeli campaign against the Iranian regime began with the assassination of Ali Khamenei on February 28 – just as Cyprus was restarting its tourism industry. winter.
On March 1, as waves of Iranian drone Launches were launched across the region, with the runway of the British base RAF Akrotiri being attacked by UAVs fired by the rogue state.
The attack triggered a wave of holiday cancellations – which quickly escalated iran The war is already causing travel chaos throughout the Middle East.
The Cyprus Hoteliers Association said there was a huge 40 per cent drop in bookings in March and a similar loss in April.
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britt traveler Cyprus normally accounts for a third of the arrivals – the island welcomed four million international visitors last year.
The latest sharp decline in bookings has dealt a huge blow to Cyprus’ local economy.
According to AirDNA, cancellation rates for short-term rentals also increased from about 15 percent to 100 percent after the outbreak of the conflict.
The cost has since plateaued from its all-time increase, but remained at about 45 percent as of March 21.
surrounding nations including Greece And turkey Cancellation rates have also seen an increase – as the entire region’s tourism industry continues to be impacted.
Horrific images show empty streets in other holiday hotspots including Dubai – which has seen a strong reaction on social media to images and videos of the destruction.
masquita hotelThe company, which operates three hotels in Cyprus, told the Financial Times it had seen a high number of cancellations for trips in March and April.
During this time, easyjet Chief executive Kenton Jarvis told the outlet: “If you look at a map EuropeWe obviously saw a decline in demand in Cyprus and Türkiye and that part of Africa.
Housing costs in Cyprus in April and May fell 12 percent last week compared to before the war began, Lighthouse Intelligence reported.
Beaches in Cyprus – including popular areas like Protaras and Limassol – are much quieter than usual.
Visitors have recorded stunning footage of abandoned streets as the war shows no signs of slowing down.
It comes after an Iranian drone attack on RAF Akrotiri earlier this month – which has raised fears over Britain’s air defense capabilities.
horror The attack also prompted a reaction from Britain – as Britain moved to deploy HMS Dragon to Cyprus.
It took three weeks for the battleship to reach her destination after going into action from the dry dock.
The Middle East war has now reached the one-month mark – as talks between the US and Iran continue.
Donald Trump on Monday announced “major progress” in peace talks with the embattled regime.
The US President said that an agreement would “probably” come soon, but warned that he would “demolish” it completely otherwise.
In a fiery post on Truth Social, Trump said the US is now having “serious discussions” with a “new and more reasonable” regime in Tehran.
He praised the “fantastic progress” and said an agreement would “probably” be reached soon.
But he made it clear that the stake could not be bigger than this.
Dawn warned that if Iran fails to agree – and if the Strait of Hormuz is not “immediately ‘open for business'” – the US will respond with overwhelming force.
He said the US would conclude its “beautiful ‘stay’ in Iran by blowing up and completely destroying all of its power generation plants, oil wells and Kharg Island (and possibly all desalination plants!) that we have not knowingly ‘touched’ yet.”
Trump said the attacks would be in retaliation for American soldiers killed during Iran’s 47-year “reign of terrorism”.
The explosive warning comes as Trump steps up pressure on the battered Iranian regime, with US forces already striking thousands of targets and delivering the final blow.
About 10,000 US troops – including elite Marines and paratroopers from the 83rd Airborne – are being sent to the region.
And warships such as the USS Tripoli, carrying 3,500 personnel, are already in position.
Behind the scenes, the US leader has also hatched a bold plan to seize Iran’s oil lifeline, which would weaken the regime’s ability to foment terror.
At the center is Kharag Island – the major export terminal where most of Iran’s crude flows.
Trump told financial Times: “Honestly, my favorite thing is to get oil in Iran, but some idiots in America say: ‘Why are you doing this?’ But they are foolish people.”
He further said, “Maybe we take Kharg island, maybe we don’t. We have a lot of options.”
Trump has set a deadline of April 6 to launch a devastating attack on Iran’s energy sector if talks fail.
