Cyprus tourism revenue soars by 26.9 per cent in 2023 — Dutch tourists highest spenders

Cyprus tourism has experienced a remarkable surge in revenue, with an impressive 26.9 per cent increase during the period of January to July 2023, compared to the same period in 2022.

These findings were revealed in the Traveler Survey results published by the state’s statistical service on Tuesday.

According to the survey results, throughout the entirety of 2023, tourism revenues consistently outpaced those of the previous year, highlighting the resilience and appeal of Cyprus as a destination.

Specifically, tourism revenue for the period of January to July 2023 totalled €1.54 billion, a significant increase compared to €1.21 billion during the same period in 2022.

It should be noted that July 2023 alone saw tourism revenue reach €454.6 million, marking a 19.1 per cent increase from the €381.7 million generated in the same month the previous year.

Breaking down the expenses, according to the statistical service, the per capita expenditure of tourists in July 2023 averaged €867.96, showing a 3.4 per cent increase compared to July 2022, which stood at €839.50.

Dutch tourists ranked the highest in per capita spending throughout the entire duration of their stay, with an average of €1,165.20, while Greek tourists spent the least, with an average of €380.56.

British tourists, meanwhile, constituting the largest share of visitors at 33.6 per cent in July 2023, spent an average of €94.23 per day.

In addition, Israeli tourists, comprising the second-largest share at 12.4 per cent of the total, had an average daily expenditure of €135.44.

Polish tourists, the third-largest market share at 5.5 per cent, spent an average of €78.66 per day.

Lebanese tourists recorded the highest daily expenditure at €162.52; however, their average length of stay was relatively shorter at 5.8 days.

In contrast, Greek tourists had the lowest daily expenditure at €35.90 but enjoyed one of the longer average stays, averaging 10.6 days.

In total, Cyprus welcomed 523,718 visitors in July 2023, compared to 454,657 in July 2022, further underscoring the island’s growing appeal as a tourism hotspot.