A new historical record is expected to be set in 2026 for trips abroad taken by Cypriot residents, which are estimated to exceed two million for the first time, corresponding to 2.2 trips per permanent resident per year.
At the same time, Greece continues to maintain its first place and remains the most popular destination with a percentage of 33%, while when it comes to more distant destinations, Japan has been gaining significant ground in recent years.
As stated to CNA by Charis Papacharalambous, President of the Association of Cyprus Travel & Tourism Agents (ACTTA), in general the increase in trips made by residents of Cyprus amounts to 7% and it is estimated that, by the end of the year, the number will reach 2.1 million, compared to 1.96 million recorded in 2025.
"I believe we will have a new record. If last year we had 1.96 million trips, this year we will go to 2.1 million," he said, noting that this corresponds to approximately 2.2 trips per permanent resident per year.
As he said, the most important element is that "the resident of Cyprus continues to travel", while travel is no longer seen as a luxury but as a necessity, attributing the increase to the enhanced air connectivity of Cyprus, which increases the range of destinations and frequency. "Although it is developed mainly with the aim of attracting inbound tourism, it also creates more choices for the island's residents," he said.
85% of trips from Cyprus to Europe
Approximately 85% of trips by Cypriot residents are to Europe, including the United Kingdom, while almost 70% are to European Union countries. Greece remains in first place, accounting for approximately 33% of trips, followed by Italy, Poland, France and Germany, among others. Spain, Romania and Poland also show significant percentage increases.
At the same time, interest is also growing in more distant destinations, such as the United States and especially Japan, which, as he explained, has been steadily gaining ground in the preferences of travellers from Cyprus over the last two to three years. In relation to the profile of travelers who choose it, he said that these are mainly older people and families with older children. He also said that Thailand is also returning to the choices, after a decline in interest for one to two years.
The British market is down 11%
In relation to inbound tourism, Papacharalambous said that arrivals in July were close to last year's levels, however, the picture is differentiated by market.
European markets continue to fall short of last year's performance, a development attributed, among other things, to changes in flight scheduling after the March events, but also to the general economic situation in important countries of origin of tourists.
As he said, the British market in July was close to the levels of the corresponding month last year, however it is approximately 11% lower to date compared to the corresponding period last year, while arrivals from European Union countries are lower by 9.5%.
The Israeli market is offsetting this, recording a large increase in the last two months. “We had about 80-90 thousand more Israelis in the last two months than last year,” Papacharalambous said, noting that the increase in June reached about 165%.
He clarified, however, that the increase in arrivals from Israel does not necessarily translate into a corresponding increase in overnight stays, as the average length of stay of Israeli visitors is shorter than that of the average European tourist. As a result, overnight stays are estimated to show a greater decline than that recorded in total arrivals.
"The big wager remains winter tourism"
The President of ACTTA also highlighted the issue of increasing winter tourism.
"The important thing, our wager, remains winter tourism," he said, noting that in order to make substantial progress, a different approach is needed.
Asked whether actions have already been taken to boost winter tourism, he replied that efforts are being made, but "in fits and starts" and "without a long-term plan."
As he explained, such a big step cannot be taken effectively without specific and long-term planning, which will create the necessary conditions and provide security to those who are called upon to invest in the tourism product.
"Those who will invest must know that the product will exist," he concluded.
Asked to make an assessment of the tourism performance of 2027, he pointed out that the uncertainty that continues to characterize the geopolitical environment of the wider region does not allow for the extraction of reliable estimates.
(Source: CNA)
