Tourism seasonality in small island developing states: evidence from Cyprus

Purpose This paper adopts a thematic approach to a review of the literature relating to seasonality in small island developing states. Design/methodology/approach The paper uses a qualitative approach by retrieving data from academic sources and official public documents from the Government of Cyprus. Thematic analysis is employed to provide information in relation to the numerical aspects of seasonality through statistics and the steps taken by official tourism authorities to alleviate seasonality. Findings The findings reveal a significant seasonality problem in Cyprus, especially in the high season months and stagnation during the low season months in winter. This causes problems at the national economic level and results in unemployment. However, in recent years, the government has been trying to tackle the problem by rebranding the destination for all seasons, offering a broad spectrum of varied activities, such as niche, special interest, and cultural tourism. Originality/value The paper offers a review-based perspective on seasonality in small island developing states and discusses the merits of developing all-year-round tourism.