According to CYSTAT data released on Wednesday, in January – October 2004 Cypriots made 748.473 trips abroad against 737,309 and 744,167 in 2003 and 2002 respectively (+18%).

This upward trend continued in October, when the total number of Cypriots traveled abroad reached 71,559, which is 14.6% higher than the corresponding month of 2003 (62,433).

This increase is mostly attributable to the stabilization of the political climate in the Middle East and the liberalization of the air transport after the island’s accession in the EU. The sharp increase in the price of crude oil, on the other hand, is a suspending factor.

For January – April 2004, the total number of Cypriots traveled abroad recorded an increase of 14.8%, while for May – October 2004 this increase reached 19.3%. Greece is still the most popular destination for the Cypriots, followed by the United Kingdom, other countries of the region and Russia.