The districts of Cyprus that attract the most tourists

After around two years of the pandemic and travelling difficulties, tourist voyaging has returned.

The increased flow of tourists concerns both arrivals to Cyprus and the trips Cypriot residents take abroad. The increase is clear at all levels of the tourism industry, with arrivals reminiscent of the good old days for tourism.

The cities tourists prefer

Of interest is where tourists stayed in 2022. According to CySTAT, a tourist is defined as a person who spends at least one night in Cyprus. In 2022, most stayed in Paphos, with the areas of the free Famagusta following. More specifically, of all the tourists in 2022, 35.7% stated that they stayed in Paphos, 16.2% in Ayia Napa, 12.1% in Larnaca, 12.0% in Limassol, 11.2% in Paralimni, and smaller percentages in other regions.

In more detail, tourist arrivals increased by 65.3% and reached 3,201,080 in 2022 from 1,936,931 in 2021. Tourist arrivals during 2020 were estimated at 631,609.

The main tourist markets

In 2022, the United Kingdom is the main source of tourism for Cyprus, with a percentage of 37.9% of the total tourist traffic, followed by Israel with 8.7%, Germany with 6.2%, Poland with 5.8%, Greece with 5.3%, Sweden with 3.7%, Austria with 2.2% and Denmark with 2.1%.

The purpose of travel in 2022 was vacation for 80.8% of tourists, visiting friends or relatives for 13.0% and business for 6.1%. In 2022, the average length of stay of travelers was 9.4 nights.

Where did Cypriots travel in 2022

An equally interesting finding by CySTAT is the countries visited by Cypriots in 2022, with Greece having the place of honour.

Cypriot residents' trips abroad increased by 145.2% and reached 1,259,643 in 2022 from 513,660 in 2021 and 485,806 in 2020.

In 2022, 36.0% visited Greece, 14.5% the United Kingdom, 4.8% Italy, 3.5% Germany, 3.1% Bulgaria and 2.7% France. The peak period for Cypriots who traveled abroad was the July-September period.

72.3% of Cypriot residents who returned from trips abroad in 2022 stated that the main purpose of their trip was holidays, 17.9% business reasons, 7.0% studies and 2.8% other reasons.

The figures for November

In more recent data, CySTAT reports that the trips of Cypriots abroad in November 2023 amounted to 117,487 compared to 102,417 in November 2022, marking an increase of 14.7%.

The main countries from which Cypriots returned in November 2023 were Greece with 33.9% (39,868), the United Kingdom with 13.5% (15,834) and Italy with 5.0% (5,914).

The purpose of travel of Cypriot residents in November 2023 was mainly holidays with a percentage of 68.1%, while professional reasons accounted for 27.7%, studies for 2.3% and other reasons for 1.8%.

(Source: InBusinessNews)