Filenews 17 January 2023
Tourist arrivals amounted to 3,201,080 in 2022, compared to 1,936,931 in 2021, remaining lower than pre-pandemic levels, when in 2019 they had risen to 3,976,777.
Moreover, according to the Statistical Service, tourist arrivals in December amounted to 110,041, compared to 96,928 in December 2021, recording an increase of 13,5%.
During the January – December 2020 pandemic, tourist arrivals had reached only 631,609, while in 2019, before the pandemic, arrivals had risen to 3,976,777.
In December 2022, arrivals from the United Kingdom were the main source of tourism, accounting for 24.3% (26.708) of total arrivals, arrivals from Israel 17.1% (18.801), arrivals from Greece 11.0% (12.055), arrivals from Poland 8.5% (9.316) and arrivals from Germany 4.5% (4.976).
According to the Statistical Service, the purpose of travel in December 2022 was for 61.9% of tourists the holidays, for 27.4% the visit to friends or relatives and for 10.4% business.
Respectively, for December 2021, 61,5% visited Cyprus for holidays, 29,0% for visiting friends or relatives and 9,5% for business reasons.
Travel abroad
Meanwhile, travel by 129,4% of residents abroad increased in December 2022, compared to December 2021, according to the Statistical Service.
Trips by residents of Cyprus abroad amounted to 139,981 compared to 61,010 in December 2021.
The main countries from which the residents of Cyprus returned in December 2022 were Greece with 33,4% and the United Kingdom with 16,7%.
