If anything, the return of tourists from Israel can be described as impressive, especially given the wider unstable situation in the neighboring country lately.
Yesterday, the Statistical Service published the data regarding tourist arrivals for June, as well as for the first half of the year. Given the common belief that we are not going to reach last year's record numbers, a decrease in total arrivals by 1.7% for the first half of the year is considered "acceptable".
More specifically, according to data provided yesterday by the Statistical Service, tourist arrivals in June 2026 amounted to 489.965 compared to 498.527 in June 2025, recording a decrease of 1,7%. For the period January – June 2026, tourist arrivals amounted to 1.656.015 compared to 1.843.013 in the corresponding period of 2025, recording a decrease of 10,1%. What should be pointed out, however, is that the 1.7% decrease in June arrivals may have more weight in the numbers that will emerge for the whole year, as it is known, the arrivals of this month are much more than the arrivals of, for example, April or March.
In terms of tourists' countries of origin, arrivals from the United Kingdom were the main source of tourism for June 2026, accounting for 33.0% (161,913) of total arrivals. This is followed by arrivals from Israel 16.4% (80,343) and arrivals from Poland 7.3% (35,871). However, the impressive figure, for June arrivals, compared to the corresponding month last year, focuses on Israel. Specifically, according to the numbers of Statistics, in June 80,343 tourists arrived in Cyprus from Israel compared to 30,246 in the corresponding month of 2025, an increase of 165.6%. This year's numbers also exceed June 2024, when 51,814 Israelis had arrived in Cyprus. As for the United Kingdom, which is also the largest market for Cyprus, in June 2026 161,913 tourists arrived in our country, compared to 181,610 in June last year, a decrease of 10.8%. In June 2024, arrivals from the United Kingdom had risen to 171,704. Poland, the third largest market in Cyprus, showed a slight decrease. In June, 35,871 tourists arrived in our country, compared to 36,616 in June last year, a decrease of 2%. In June 2024, arrivals from Poland were 36,202.
In a written statement, the Deputy Minister of Tourism, Kostas Koumis, notes that the results of arrivals for June confirm that our country's tourism has returned to a stable trajectory, as the overall performance of the month is considered satisfactory under the circumstances. "At the same time, it is confirmed that the actions of the Deputy Ministry, but also of the entire tourism industry, to manage the emergency situation in which our country's tourism has fallen from March 1 onwards, have brought about clearly improved results," adds Mr. Koumis. In conclusion, the Deputy Minister of Tourism points out that a number of geographical markets have been affected, and still require and need thorough support to ensure the successful and unhindered continuation of their course in the coming years.
