Tourist arrivals increase 5.4%

The first quarter of 2024 has ended with an increase of 5. 4 per cent in tourist arrivals compared to last year, deputy tourism minister Costas Koumis said on Saturday.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the Fish Festival taking place in Polis Chrysochous, he stressed this is no easy situation.

“We are going through a year with many peculiarities and many adversities”, Koumis said.

A combination of the crisis in the region as well as economic difficulties in some countries from which Cyprus receives a large number of visitors, all add up to a challenging situation, he added.

However, “we are satisfied with the results, and we hope to achieve another good performance by the end of the year.”

He expressed hope that all tensions in the region will come to an end.

Koumis specified that tourism from Israel, which is the second largest market for Cyprus, has recorded a 26 per cent decrease so far, but other markets have seen an increase, such as arrivals from Poland, which are recording a big increase, as well as the German and Swiss visitors.