Paphos attracted the most visitors in 2023, increasing tourism to €2.99 billion

With 20.1% more tourists than in 2022, Cyprus had a significant increase in tourism in 2023. The number of visitors to the island increased to 3,845,652 in 2023 from 3,201,080 in 2022. Over one-third of these tourists went to Paphos, which was a popular destination, according to the state's statistical service.

Revenue from tourism smashing standards

The research showed that tourism-related income increased significantly, rising by 22.6% to reach €2.99 billion in 2023. This expansion highlights how crucial tourism is to the Cypriot economy.

Traveler statistics

In 2023, 6,107,725 travellers arrived in Cyprus overall, a 26.4% increase over 2022. In 2023, there was a notable increase in the number of Cypriot people who travelled overseas, with a 33.4% increase to 1,680,345 trips.

Important source markets

With 33.9% of all arrivals, the United Kingdom continued to be the country from which the majority of visitors arrived in Cyprus. Israel (10.7%), Poland (7.1%), Germany (5.5%), Greece (4.9%), Sweden (3.8%), and both Romania and France (2.1%) were among the other significant markets.

Accommodation preferences

A breakdown of visitor accommodations showed that 34.2% of tourists stayed in Paphos, followed by 16.4% in Ayia Napa, 13.4% in Larnaca, 12.0% in Limassol, and 11.2% in Paralimni. Other areas had smaller percentages of visitors.

Purpose of visits

Most visitors (80.3%) came to Cyprus for holidays. Visiting friends or relatives accounted for 13.3% of arrivals, while 6.3% traveled for business purposes.

Tourism revenue breakdown

In 2023, tourism revenue amounted to €2.99 billion, up from €2.44 billion in 2022. The average spending per visitor was €777.68, a 2.1% increase from the previous year. The highest spending was recorded in August (€944.51), and the lowest in February (€475.39).

Travel patterns

Cyprus travel to and from increased in 2023. The total number of arrivals was 6,107,725, up 26.4%, while the total number of departures was 6,105,574, up 26.8%. 95.1% of arrivals and 95.2% of departures were because of air travel.

Cypriot residents' travel habits

Cypriot residents also traveled more in 2023, with trips abroad increasing by 33.4%. Greece was the top destination for Cypriots (34.4%), followed by the United Kingdom (10.6%), Italy (4.8%), France (3.5%), Germany (3.2%), and Bulgaria (2.7%).

Reasons for travel

Among Cypriot residents returning from trips abroad, 72.0% cited holidays as their main purpose, 19.7% traveled for business, 6.6% for studies, and 1.8% for other reasons. The peak travel period was during July and August.

This report illustrates Cyprus's continuous attraction to tourists from across the world and its substantial economic impact, as well as the island's strong development in the tourism sector in 2023.