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In a promising sign for the country's tourism sector, Cyprus reported a remarkable 17.9% increase in tourist arrivals during September 2023 compared to the same month in 2022. The data, released by the Statistical Service of Cyprus, revealed that a total of 487,350 tourists visited the island in September 2023, up from 413,382 in September 2022. This positive trend is part of a broader pattern, with tourist numbers rising by 23.4% for the first nine months of 2023 compared to the same period the previous year, totaling 3,136,145 arrivals.
During September 2023, the United Kingdom emerged as the leading source of tourism for Cyprus, accounting for 34% of total arrivals, followed by Israel at 11.7%, Poland at 6.7%, Germany at 5.5%, and Sweden at 4.6%. Most visitors came for leisure purposes, constituting 84.1% of arrivals, while 10.3% visited friends and relatives, and 5.5% had business-related reasons. Compared to September 2022, this represents a slightly different distribution, with 86.1% arriving for leisure, 9.1% for family visits, and 4.7% for business.
Additionally, the report highlighted a substantial increase in the number of Cypriot residents returning from trips abroad in September 2023, marking a 14.5% rise compared to the same month in 2022. A total of 140,187 residents came back from their travels abroad, with Greece being the most popular destination, accounting for 37.1% of returnees, followed by the United Kingdom, Italy, and Russia. The primary reason for these trips was leisure, making up 76.1%, while business-related travels constituted 19.7%.
[Information sourced from CNA]
