Nicosia: The UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has updated its travel advice for Cyprus, removing the special warnings that had been introduced following the escalation of tensions in the Middle East and which had caused concern within the British travel industry.
According to Cyprus News Agency, in the previous version of the travel advice, Cyprus was included alongside at least 17 other countries in the wider region under a special warning citing an "increased risk of regional tensions" arising from the conflict and the drone attack near the British Sovereign Base Area at Akrotiri. At the time, the FCDO warned that the escalation of tensions in the region "could cause travel disruption" and have "other unforeseen consequences". British nationals were advised to exercise increased caution when travelling.
These references have now been removed from the updated travel advice for Cyprus. While the standard safety advice for travellers remains in place, there is no longer any specific reference to an elevated regional threat level or to possible travel disruptions linked to the situation in the Middle East.
The previous warning had caused concern among tourism stakeholders both in Cyprus and the UK, as a number of British media outlets had highlighted the references to regional instability. However, even during the height of the tensions, London never advised against travel to Cyprus.
Nevertheless, the removal of the relevant warnings is widely seen as an indication that British authorities now assess the risk of direct repercussions from developments in the Middle East on travel to Cyprus as having diminished significantly.