Tourist arrivals in Cyprus reached 90,549 in January 2023 compared to 43,944 in January 2022, an increase of 106.1%, data published by the Statistical Service on Friday show.
According to the data, arrivals from the United Kingdom were the main source of tourism for January 2023, with a share of 20.6% or 18,631 arrivals, followed by Israel with 16.6% or 14,991 arrivals. Poland followed with 12.3% or 11,166 and Greece with 11.6% or 10,459.
A 64.8% of the people arriving in Cyprus in January said the purpose of their trip was holidays, while 21.4% were visiting friends and relatives, and 13.4% came to the country for business.
In January 2022, 57.5% of people who visited Cyprus came for holidays, 22.3% visited friends or relatives and 20.2% visited Cyprus for business reasons.
Cyprus residents travelling abroad
The data also show that 136,717 residents of Cyprus returned from a trip abroad in January 2023, compared to 48,382 in the corresponding month last year, recording an increase of 182.6%.
The main countries from which the residents of Cyprus returned in January 2023 were Greece with 32.9% and 44,937 arrivals and the United Kingdom with 12.9% or 17,622 arrivals. Residents returning from Poland and Bulgaria increased annually by 4%, with 5,848 and 5,256 arrivals respectively.