Tourist arrivals -4.9% and returns of Cypriot residents -1.7%
Tourist Arrivals
Tourist arrivals in May 2026 amounted to 455,680 compared to 479,160 in May 2025, a decrease of 4.9%.
For the period January-May 2026, tourist arrivals amounted to 1.166.050 compared to 1.344.486 in the corresponding period of 2025, recording a decrease of 13,3%.
Arrivals from the United Kingdom were the main source of tourism for May 2026, accounting for 36.3% (165,600) of total arrivals, arrivals from Israel 11.8% (53,649), arrivals from Poland 8.2% (37,307), arrivals from Germany 6.3% (28,546) and arrivals from Sweden 4.9% (22,111) (Table 1).
| Table 1 | ||||
| Country ofHabitual Residence | Tourist Arrivals | |||
| May | Percentage Change(%) | |||
| 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | May 2026/25 | |
| TOTAL | 421.400 | 479.160 | 455.680 | -4,9 |
| Austria | 7.416 | 8.773 | 8.634 | -1,6 |
| France | 9.214 | 9.957 | 6.291 | -36,8 |
| Germany | 27.081 | 29.938 | 28.546 | -4,6 |
| Denmark | 7.286 | 8.635 | 8.137 | -5,8 |
| Switzerland | 6.049 | 7.249 | 5.167 | -28,7 |
| Greece | 17.745 | 17.591 | 16.383 | -6,9 |
| United Kingdom | 167.696 | 179.150 | 165.600 | -7,6 |
| Israel | 33.138 | 45.249 | 53.649 | 18,6 |
| Lebanon | 3.532 | 3.093 | 3.512 | 13,5 |
| Norway | 8.253 | 7.656 | 6.996 | -8,6 |
| Netherlands | 7.073 | 8.078 | 6.039 | -25,2 |
| Hungary | 4.368 | 5.517 | 6.481 | 17,5 |
| Poland | 31.849 | 36.800 | 37.307 | 1,4 |
| Romania | 7.943 | 8.411 | 7.939 | -5,6 |
| Sweden | 20.103 | 22.924 | 22.111 | -3,5 |
| Other | 62.654 | 80.139 | 72.888 | -9,0 |
The purpose of travel in May 2026 was for 75.9% of tourists holidays, for 14.9% to visit friends or relatives and for 9.2% business. Similarly, for May 2025, 81.2% visited Cyprus for holidays, 11.1% for visiting friends or relatives and 7.6% for business (Table 2).
| Table 2 | |||
| Purpose of | Percentage (%) | ||
| May 2024 | May 2025 | May 2026 | |
| Holidays | 83,7 | 81,2 | 75,9 |
| Visiting relatives & friends | 9,8 | 11,1 | 14,9 |
| Professional | 6,3 | 7,6 | 9,2 |
Returns of Cyprus Residents
The trips of Cyprus residents abroad in May 2026 amounted to 140,892 compared to 143,296 in May 2025, marking a decrease of 1.7%.
The main countries from which the residents of Cyprus returned in May 2026 were Greece with 32.4% (45.668), the United Kingdom with 8.8% (12.399), Italy with 5.9% (8.324) and Poland with 4.4% (6.199).
The purpose of travel of Cypriot residents in May 2026 was mainly holidays with a percentage of 71.5%, while professional reasons held a percentage of 23.9%, studies a percentage of 3.1% and other reasons a percentage of 1.4%.
Methodological Information
Definitions
Tourists – Visitors who stay at least one night in Cyprus are considered.
Tourist arrivals – The term refers to the number of visits and not the number of people. This differs in the sense that a person can make more than one visit in a given reporting period.
Return of Cyprus residents – This category includes persons who have resided in Cyprus for at least 12 months or who came to Cyprus with the intention of staying for at least 12 months prior to their trip.
Data Source and Coverage
The data emerge from the Traveller Survey, which is carried out at the arrivals and departures of Larnaca and Paphos airports. In addition, data are collected from administrative sources, such as monthly arrivals from ports.
The data cover all persons passing through passport control at the ports and airports of Cyprus and refer to the State-controlled areas. They do not include travelers who come and go illegally through ports and airports in the occupied area of Cyprus.
The data were extrapolated based on the data sent to the Statistical Service by the Department of Civil Aviation and from the passenger lists of the ships, as well as data sent by the Office of Analysis and Statistics of the Cyprus Police.
For more information, interested parties can visit the Statistical Service Portal, subtheme Tourism, CYSTAT-DB (Database), Predefined Tables (Excel), Methodological Information or contact Ms. Loukia Panayidou by phone at 22602152 or by e-mail at lpanagidou@cystat.mof.gov.cy.
Source: Cyprus Statistical Service (Cystat)
