The number of Cypriot residents returning from a trip abroad reached 170,045 in January, an increase of 15 per cent compared to the same period last year, statistical service Cystat said on Tuesday.

The biggest number were returning from Greece (27.6 per cent), followed by the United Kingdom (8.5 per cent) and Poland (5.8 per cent).

Holidays were the primary reason for travelling, accounting for 82.2 per cent of travel.

Meanwhile 16.3 per cent of travellers went abroad on a business trip and 0.7 per cent said they travelled for other reasons.

The number of tourists arriving to spend holidays on the island amounted to 121,625 in January, marking an 8.5 per cent increase on the previous year.

Holidays remained the main reason for travel to Cyprus, amounting to 60.7 per cent and followed by visits to family and friends (22.8 per cent), while 16.2 per cent travelled to the island for business purposes. 

Most tourists, 22,575, arrived from Poland, making up for 18.6 per cent of total arrivals, an increase of 43 per cent on January 2025.

Israeli tourists accounted for 18.1 per cent of arrivals, totalling 21,981, a 7.3 per cent decrease on last year.

Tourists from the UK accounted for 16.3 per cent of tourists, while 14.5 per cent were from Greece, representing the two largest groups after Poland and Israel.

A notable increase of 82.4 per cent was recorded in tourists arriving from Germany, totaling 7,504 arrivals.

In contrast, tourist arrivals from Lebanon dropped significantly by 25.1 per cent to only 1,773 compared to 2,367 in January 2025.

Deputy Tourism Minister Kostas Koumis had in the previous week approved the Republic’s new National Tourism Strategy, covering the period until 2035. 

“The goal is to reach 5 million visitors by 2035, but to distribute them differently compared to what is the case today,” he said, referring both to regions and periods of the year.

Direct air links to Cyprus are currently maintained by more than 40 countries.