Tourist arrivals show annual increase of 27.5% between Jan.-July

Tourist arrivals for the period of January – July 2023 recorded an annual increase of 27.5%, according to data published by the Statistical Service of Cyprus.

In a press release, CyStat says that for the period of January – July 2023, arrivals of tourists totaled 2.137.408 compared to 1.676.039 in the corresponding period of 2022, recording an increase of 27.5%.

Meanwhile, the arrivals of tourists reached 523.718 in July 2023 compared to 454.657 in July 2022, recording an increase of 15.2%.

Arrivals from the United Kingdom were the main source of tourism for July 2023, with a share of 33.6% (175.924) of total arrivals, followed by Israel with 12.4% (64.711), Poland with 5.5% (28.957), Sweden with 4.4% (22.994), Germany with 3.6% (19.030) and Greece with 3.1% (16.092).

For a percentage of 85.4% of tourists, the purpose of their trip in July 2023 was holidays, for 11.3% visit to friends and relatives and for 3.3% business.

Respectively, in July 2022, 84.9% of tourists visited Cyprus for holidays, 12.2% visited friends or relatives and 2.8% visited Cyprus for business reasons. 

Returns of residents of Cyprus

As regards the returns of Cypriots from abroad, the Statistical Service says that their number showed a significant annual increase in July.

It says that a total number of 184.335 residents of Cyprus returned from a trip abroad in July 2023 compared to 134.198 in the corresponding month last year, recording an increase of 37.4%.

The main countries from which residents of Cyprus returned in July 2023 were Greece with a share of 38.8% (71.445), the United Kingdom with 10.9% (20.011), Italy with 6.4% (11.870) and France with 4.3% (7.869).

The purpose of travel for the residents of Cyprus in July 2023 was mainly holidays, with a percentage of 71.1%, whilst business reasons held a percentage of 13.6%, studies 13,7% and other reasons 1.6%.