Cyprus parliament extends deadline for hotel licensing until 2028

On Thursday, the plenary session of the Cyprus House of Representatives approved a bill granting a new extension for hotels and tourist accommodations to secure operating licenses from the Deputy Ministry of Tourism. The deadline for compliance has been pushed to December 31, 2028. The legislation passed with 25 votes in favor, one vote against, and 15 abstentions. Supporting parties included DISY, DIKO, ELAM, DIPA, the Ecological Movement, and independent MP Eirini Charalambidou. Independent MP Kostis Efstathiou voted against the bill, while AKEL members, DISY MP Kyriakos Hadjiyiannis, and EDEK MP Marinos Sizopoulos abstained. Kyriakos Hadjiyiannis, who chairs the Trade Committee, criticized the repeated extensions, arguing they do not resolve systemic issues and create unfair competitive disadvantages for the industry. He stated that approximately 850 units continue to operate without a proper regulatory framework. Hadjiyiannis noted that the committee had proposed an alternative legalization scheme, but the Deputy Ministry rejected it in favor of continuing with temporary extensions.