In October 2020, the abandoned resort started to partially reopen for both settlement and tourism. However, the move prompted backlash from the Greek Cypriots in the south of the island, who reportedly viewed it as an indirect land grab.

Varosha became a hotspot for dark tourists hoping to explore the ghost town for themselves. According to statistics released in 2024 and reports from Hubert Faustmann, a professor of History and Political Science at the University of Nicosia and director of the office of the Friedrich-Ebert-Foundation in Cyprus, more than 1.8 million tourists visited the area in the last four years.

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Abandoned streets from around the world