Cyprus nets a record tourism year

Posted on Nov 22, 2016

Almost three million tourists visited Cyprus in the first 10 months of 2016, data from the Ministry of Finance showed.

The increase, compared to the same period in 2015 is estimated at 20.3%. Arrivals in October alone increased by 32.6% to 357,194, the Ministry says, meaning that Cyprus has already beaten its previous record for a full year, which was 2.69 million visitors in 2001.

Cyprus has benefited from an upsurge in arrivals, especially from its largest markets such as Britain, Russia, Greece and the MENA region. Both tourists and investors consider Cyprus as a regional safe heaven.

“The results indicate that the initial estimate for an exceptional year are verified and the strategic target set at more than three million arrivals for 2016 will be achieved,” said the Cyprus Tourism Organization in an official statement.

Income from tourism related activities represents about 12% of the country’s gross domestic product and is credited for helping to achieve its quick recovery from the Eurozone crisis.