British women reshape Cyprus’ tourism landscape

Cyprus has emerged as one of Europe’s leading destinations for female tourism spending, with recently-published analysis highlighting a strong rise in expenditure by British women travellers.

The findings, based on research by Solo Female Travelers, show that Cyprus ranks among the top-performing countries as British female tourists drive a surge in European travel spending.

The study found that female tourism spending in Cyprus increased by 25.41 per cent year-on-year, with average expenditure per visit rising from £632 in 2023 to £793 in 2024.

This places Cyprus fifth among European countries in terms of growth in female spending per visit and fourth overall in a composite ranking measuring performance across multiple indicators.

Across the dataset, which covered 27 European destinations using UK Office for National Statistics (ONS) data, 23 countries had complete year-on-year data, with 19 recording growth in female spending per visit.

The results point to a broad shift in travel behaviour, with women playing an increasingly central role in shaping tourism demand and expenditure patterns across the continent.

Cyprus stands out for combining strong growth with a female spending share of 49.66 per cent, placing it among a group of countries where women account for nearly half of all tourism expenditure.

This positions the country alongside destinations such as Malta, Spain, Portugal and Hungary, where female travellers represent a major economic force in the tourism sector.

In terms of absolute spending, Cyprus ranks sixth in Europe, with female visitors spending an average of £793 per trip in 2024, compared with £862 for male visitors.

The analysis also highlights that Cyprus achieved a balanced performance across growth, spending share and gender gap, contributing to its high overall ranking score of 52 out of 100.

At the top of the rankings, Austria recorded the strongest growth, with female spending per trip more than doubling from £243 to £500, representing an increase of 105.56 per cent.

Belgium and the Czech Republic followed, with Belgium recording a 53.89 per cent rise and the Czech Republic standing out as the only country where women spend more than men, with a 9.60 per cent premium.

Denmark matched Cyprus in overall score but achieved this through different dynamics, including the highest absolute female spend per visit in Europe at £952.

More broadly, the study shows that female travel spending is rising across both Western and Eastern Europe, with strong increases also recorded in countries such as Germany, Ireland and Poland.

At the same time, Greece recorded the highest female spending share in Europe at 51.36 per cent, meaning women account for the majority of tourism expenditure in that market.

Only four countries saw a decline in female spending per visit, namely Switzerland, Turkey, Luxembourg and Spain, although women still account for nearly half of total spending in Spain at 48.96 per cent.

“The data makes one thing clear, that British women are not just participating in European tourism, they are reshaping it,” said Mar Pages, co-founder of Solo Female Travelers Tours.

“When spending doubles in a single year in a country like Austria, it signals a structural shift in travel behaviour,” she added.

“The industry must adapt its products, marketing, and infrastructure to recognise women as one of the most important economic forces in global tourism,” she stressed.

The research was based on a composite index methodology, scoring each country out of 100 based on female share of total spending, year-on-year growth in spending per visit and the gender spending gap.

The findings underline Cyprus’ growing importance within European tourism markets, as the country continues to benefit from changing travel patterns and rising spending power among female visitors.