Tourism in Cyprus remains stubbornly seasonal. Over a quarter of all tourists arrive in the peak months of July and August, with the summer quarter from July to September accounting for almost 40 per cent of total annual arrivals.
The great majority of tourists travel to Cyprus on inclusive-tour (package) arrangements. In particular, 80 per cent of the UK market and 100 per cent of the Scandinavian market in Cyprus are typically on package holidays. Not only has this limited the potential to develop the more lucrative independent market, but also the island has become increasingly dependent upon a small number of major overseas tour operators. Thus, although over 60 specialist and mainstream operators (including some 20 Cypriot-owned companies) in the UK alone offer holidays to Cyprus in their programmes, it has been observed that, as a result of recent restructuring within the tour operating industry, some 30 per cent of all arrivals in Cyprus are controlled by just one company, the German group Preussag (O'Connor, 2000).
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