Over 1.6 million crossings to north in first quarter of 2023

Over 1.6 million journeys were made to the north via the crossing points in the first three months of 2023, according to statistics released by the north’s ‘Central bank’.

The figures were released as part of the bank’s first quarterly report of the year, and revealed that of the 1.6 million crossings, just shy of 675,000 were made by Greek Cypriots.

Over 403,000 journeys to the north were made by third country nationals, while the rest were made by Turkish Cypriots.

The numbers represent a 37 per cent overall increase and a 22 per cent increase in Greek Cypriots making journeys to the north compared to the same period in 2022.

The number of arrivals by air to the north’s Tymbou (Ercan) airport as well as by sea to the ports of Kyrenia, Famagusta, and the Karpaz Gate Marina all saw increases in the first three months of this year compared to the same period last year.

However, the overall number of air and sea arrivals in the north in the first three months of 2023 was still lower than the same period in 2019, the last year before the start of the pandemic.

Around 338,000 people arrived in the north by air and sea between January and March, seven per cent fewer than the 365,000 during the same period in 2019.