Over half a million tourists visit Cyprus in September
The number of tourists arriving in Cyprus reached 509,463 in September 2024, up from 487,350 in September 2023.
This marks an increase of 4.5 per cent year-on-year, according to the Cyprus Statistical Service (Cystat).
For the period from January to September 2024, total tourist arrivals amounted to 3,268,090, compared to 3,136,145 in the same period last year, reflecting an increase of 4.2 per cent.
The United Kingdom remained the primary source of tourism for Cyprus, contributing 35.5 per cent (180,961) of total arrivals in September 2024.
Other significant sources included Israel at 10.7 per cent (54,557), Poland at 8.3 per cent (42,295), Germany at 4.8 per cent (24,594), and Sweden at 4.2 per cent (21,609).
In terms of travel purposes, 85.1 per cent of tourists visited Cyprus for holidays in September, while 9.6 per cent visited friends and relatives, and 5.2 per cent travelled for business.
This shows a slight shift from September 2023, when 84.1 per cent visited for holidays, 10.3 per cent for visiting friends or relatives, and 5.5 per cent for business.
Meanwhile, the number of Cypriot residents returning from trips abroad reached 156,153 in September of this year, an increase of 11.4 per cent compared to 140,187 in the same month in 2023.
Moreover, the primary destinations for returning residents were Greece, which accounted for 35.0 per cent (54,624), followed by the United Kingdom at 7.8 per cent (12,165), Italy at 6.3 per cent (9,860), and Russia at 5.6 per cent (8,719).
Finally, the majority of Cypriot residents travelled primarily for holidays, comprising 73.0 per cent of the total, while 23.4 per cent travelled for business, 1.8 per cent for studies, and 1.8 per cent for other reasons.