If you’re off on holiday to Cyprus this year, the good news is that Larnaca Airport is up and running.

MSN report:

The 100,000 square metre (1.1 million square foot) high-tech terminal is four times larger than its predecessor, just a couple of kilometres away on the island’s south coast.

The old terminal had originally been built as a makeshift facility in February 1975 after the island’s only airport, in the capital Nicosia, got caught up in no-man’s land following the Turkish invasion eight months earlier.

Larnaca airport now has double the capacity to handle passenger traffic of up to 7.5 million people annually with a provision to extend this to nearly 10 million when the need arises.

Key features include 67 check-in counters, 16 air bridges, departure and arrivals situated on different levels and parking for 2,650 vehicles.

It took three years to build at a cost 656 million euros (973 million dollars) in what is one the largest infrastructure projects ever undertaken in Cyprus.

Officials hope the new airport will also attract foreign investment to Cyprus.

Flight operations from the new airport will begin on Tuesday, with Cyprus Airways and easyjet flights only and become fully operational from November 17. To read the full article click here

For information about the island, including the Cyprus weather and flights to Cyprus visit http://www.yourcyprus.info

Tourism has dropped in 2009 - the number of holidaymakers visiting the island fell by over ten per cent last year.

ebturbonews report:

Between January and September, 1.75 million tourist arrivals were recorded, compared with 1.96 million in the year-earlier period.

In September alone, arrivals were 276,178 as against 305,348 in September 2008 — a sizeable year-on-year decline of 9.6 percent.

There was a hefty 20.1 percent decline in arrivals from Russia, but a lower 7.2 percent dip from Britain, the island’s largest source of holidaymakers. To read the full article click here

The number of people buying a property in Cyprus has crashed - according to the island’s Land Registry the number of overseas buyers fell by an astonishing 76 per cent.

Reuters recently ran an article about how climate change could affect Cyprus. Here’s an extract:

“Climate change is going to affect this region in a relatively strong way, and differently than northern Europe,” said Jos Lelieveld, a professor in atmospheric sciences at the Energy, Environment and Water Research Center at the non-profit Cyprus Institute.

Cyprus has a tourism intake of more than two million each year, attracted by its almost year-round sunshine and stunning beaches. The sector represents about 11 percent of its economy. But its key selling point, the sun, could be a malady if forecasts on changing weather patterns prove to be correct.

“For the tourist sector the summer seasons may become less attractive,” said Lelieveld, who is also a director at the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry in Germany.

To read the full article click here

For a Cyprus weather forecast and holidays in Cyprus visit yourcyprus.info

An article at assetz.news reported recently that property in Cyprus is overpriced - here is what they had to say:

I saw a report today talking about the Cyprus property market and house builders have given up giving free furnishing packs and paying for purchase costs having come to the realisation they need to offer much better deals. Overseas purchasers have reduced to around 25% of the numbers that the country was used to prior to the credit crunch.

Cyprus prices got carried away a few years ago and we moved away from the country for a while but things are now changing.

You have been able to get bargains from a resale perspective for over a year now but developers are particularly stubborn in Cyprus and the beginning of their getting real is now underway with and suggesting that 10% discounts are a superb buying opportunity. Hold out for 30% to 40% discounts as I’m sure we going to be seeing those at some point over the next 12 months otherwise many of the developers could well be going bust as they are significantly leveraged in many cases.

In many ways it’s not much different to here in the UK…

To read the full article click here

Unlike some islands in the Mediterranean Cyprus doesn’t rely almost exclusively on tourism to fuel its economy. Luckily with the downturn in the world economy only about 11 percent of the country’s revenue comes from tourism.

Year-to-Year Comparison

January and February saw a combined 11.1 percent drop in the number of people taking holidays in Cyprus, and it hasn’t been getting better since then. The first half of 2009 saw a fall in British visitors of about 20 to 30 percent who ecided that the lure of the weather in Cyprus wasn’t enough.

Monetary Issues

Some say monetary exchange rates are the principle cause of the reduction of visitors from Britain. The current exchange rate from euro to sterling is far lower than it was in 2008.

Many tourists look for low rates and great deals on travel packages. More than 50 percent of European holidaymakers choose to spend their vacation time in more traditional spots. Either way, money-aware travelers are looking for the best value for their money.

Only about 25 percent of European vacationers prefer to visit less-known places. They prefer vacation destinations that are more quiet and remote. Some are in search of quiet, outdoor activities while others simply like to visit alternative locations from year to year.

A lot of people chose to stay home this summer. Three percent of those polled said they could not vacation this year without going in debt. The world-wide economic issues have caused many well-known holiday destinations to become less crowded during the 2009 season. Most residents of Greece for example chose to vacation within the country this year instead of travelling abroad.

Most Popular Holiday Destinations

Some of the most popular destinations are the Balearic Islands, Rome, London and Paris. The United States, Turkey and Croatia are also popular destinations for Europeans this year.

The Balearic Islands are comprised of a group of 5 islands in the Mediterranean Sea, the main ones being Majorca, Menorca and Ibiza. The primary languages spoken are Spanish and Catalan but many natives have learned English to accommodate English-speaking visitors. Ibiza is well known as both a party and family destination. Crystal blue waters and sandy beaches await visitors to the islands.

Though fewer people are visiting Cyprus this year, next year may prove to be a different story. The economy is starting a slow climb upward and people are learning to save for things they enjoy. Tourism in 2010 will likely see tourists and international travellers going back to their favourite destinations, including Cyprus of course.

For more travel articles and up to date news visit twitter

53 beaches in Cyprus have been awarded blue flags and is the top spot in Europe for water cleanliness - to read a report click here

Meanwhile the Sunday Mercury has run a good article about various location on the map of Cyprus - to read it click here

Finally, The Daily Telegraph in the UK has run a really good article about Limassol - click here to read it.

For more information about Cyprus visit http://www.yourcyprus.info

Smoking in public places is due to be outlawed from January 1 2010.

To read the Reuters report click here

Financial specialists rate Cyprus as an ideal destination - not for the Cyprus weather necessarily - but for investors and those thinking of retiring abroad (be careful though about buying property).