Newsroom
A dramatic decline in visitors from Israel was a major factor behind a steep drop in Cyprus tourism revenue during March, according to new figures released by the Statistical Service.
Tourism income totaled €85.6 million during the month, down 33.8 percent from €129.4 million in March 2025. The decline came alongside a significant reduction in tourist arrivals and lower spending by visitors.
The Israeli market experienced the most striking change. Arrivals from Israel fell to just 1,537 in March 2026, compared with 28,353 during the same month a year earlier. The decrease removed one of Cyprus's highest-spending visitor groups from the market.
Israeli tourists have traditionally generated substantial revenue for Cyprus. In March 2025, visitors from Israel spent an average of €194.69 per day, the highest daily expenditure among the country's main tourism markets. The sharp reduction in these arrivals therefore had an outsized effect on overall tourism earnings.
Across all markets, tourist arrivals dropped to 139,198 in March from 200,736 a year earlier. Average spending per visitor also declined by 4.6 percent, falling to €615.27 from €644.65.
The downturn was also reflected in first-quarter results. Tourism revenue for the January-March period reached €245.5 million, compared with €278.3 million during the same period in 2025, a decrease of 11.8 percent.
The United Kingdom remained Cyprus's largest source market despite lower visitor numbers. British arrivals reached 45,763, accounting for 32.9 percent of the total. Average spending per visitor from the UK stood at €669.43.
Poland ranked second with a 12.6 percent share of arrivals, while Germany placed third with 10.8 percent. German visitors recorded the highest average spending per person among the leading European markets at €724.25.
March also saw heightened security concerns following a drone attack targeting the RAF base at Akrotiri. The incident prompted alerts from authorities and led several countries to issue travel advisories.
