Cyprus tourist arrivals soar in June — Poland and Sweden among top five markets

Tourist arrivals in Cyprus experienced a significant increase of 22.7 per cent in June 2023 compared to the same period last year, although they remained 10.6 per cent lower than the record-breaking arrivals recorded in June 2018.

According to a report released on Monday by the state’s statistical service, tourist arrivals for the period of January to June 2023 reached 1,613,690, marking a 32.1 per cent increase compared to the corresponding period in 2022, which recorded 1,221,382 arrivals.

Drilling down further into the figures, we can see that tourist arrival in June 2023 amounted to 456,985, compared to 372,324 in June 2022, representing a substantial increase of 22.7 per cent.

However, this figure was 10.6 per cent lower than the record-breaking arrivals of 511,073 recorded in June 2018, indicating a decrease of 54,088 visitors.

The United Kingdom was the main source of tourism in June 2023, accounting for 34.8 per cent (159,061) of the total arrivals. Israel contributed 10.2 per cent (46,402) of the arrivals, followed by Poland with 6.6 per cent (30,293), Sweden with 5 per cent (22,724), and Greece with 4.5 per cent (20,722).

What is more, according to the report, the purpose of travel for 81.7 per cent of visitors in June 2023 was for vacation, while 12.6 per cent visited friends or relatives, and 5.5 per cent travelled for business.

Comparatively, in June 2022, 82 per cent visited Cyprus for vacation, 10.9 per cent visited friends or relatives, and 7.0 per cent travelled for business purposes.

In addition, the statistical service reported that Cypriot residents’ trips abroad in June 2023 reached 138,588, reflecting a 14.4 per cent increase compared to June 2022, which recorded 121,146 trips.

The primary countries from which Cypriot residents returned in June 2023 were Greece with 30.8 per cent (42,662), the United Kingdom with 11.2 per cent (15,493), Italy with 7.1 per cent (9,776), and France with 4.2 per cent (5,776).

The purpose of Cypriot residents’ trips in June 2023 was mainly for vacation, accounting for 61.9 per cent of the total, followed by business reasons at 26 per cent, educational purposes at 9.8 per cent, and other reasons at 2.3 per cent.