Only 141 of the 728 hotels operating across Cyprus currently hold an operating licence, Paphos hoteliers association president Evripides Loizides said, warning that the problem requires immediate state intervention. Speaking to the Cyprus News Agency (CNA), Loizides described licensing as one of the most serious issues facing the hotel industry, saying that it remained “at particularly low levels”. The matter has become more pressing ahead of January 1, 2027, when the temporary permits currently covering hotel businesses are due to expire. According to Loizides, Cyprus appeared to have lost part of its market because of the war, as several travellers had chosen other destinations for their holidays. Should the same trend continue until the end of the tourist season, Loizides estimated that Israel would become Paphos’ second-largest tourism market after the United Kingdom.