Tourist arrivals up 61% in Q1

Tourist arrivals to Cyprus increased by 61 per cent during the first quarter of 2023, the Cyprus Statistical Service said on Tuesday.

Total numbers reached 393,893, compared to 244,705 in the corresponding period of 2022, according to the data.

The upward trend recorded in the first two months of the year continued in March, during which 184,263 arrivals were recorded, compared to 128,840 in March 2022, an increase of 43 per cent.

Arrivals from the United Kingdom were the main source of tourism for March 2023, accounting for 33.8 per cent of arrivals, or 62,282 tourists.

This was followed by Israel, which accounted for 12.4 per cent of visitors (22,813 people), Greece with 8.2 per cent (15,122), Poland with 7.6 per cent (14,049) and Germany with 7 per cent (12,864).

The purpose of the trip for 71.6 per cent of arrivals in March was holidays, for 14.9 per cent to visit friends and relatives and for 13.3 per cent business.

Additionally, a total of 113,805 Cyprus residents returned from a trip abroad in March 2023 compared to 59,918 in the corresponding month last year, an increase of 89.9 per cent.

The main countries from which residents of Cyprus returned were Greece (30.3 per cent), the United Kingdom (14.4 per cent), Bulgaria (4 per cent) and Italy (3.5 per cent).