cyprus tourism — cyprus tourism — Cyprus’ tourism revenue fell sharply in March 2026, dropping by 33.8 per cent year-on-year to €85.6 million, according to a report from the Cyprus Statistical Service (Cystat). This significant decline highlights the escalating impact of geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, with the figures starkly contrasting the €129.4 million recorded in March 2025.
For the first quarter of 2026, total tourism revenue is estimated at €245.5 million, down from €278.3 million in the same period of the previous year. This 11.8 per cent decrease indicates a reversal of the positive momentum seen in January and February.
The data, based on a passenger survey conducted by Cystat, tracks spending patterns among visitors departing from Larnaca and Paphos airports. March’s figures revealed a decline in average tourist spending, suggesting that the downturn was not solely due to fewer arrivals but also to reduced expenditure among those who did visit.
In March 2026, the average expenditure per tourist was €615.27, down from €644.65 in March 2025, marking a 4.6 per cent decrease. Meanwhile, average daily spending fell more steeply, reaching €72.38 per day compared to €89.53 a year earlier.
Despite tourists staying longer on average—8.5 days compared to 7.2 days in March 2025—the longer stays did not compensate for the sharp decline in visitor numbers and daily spending. Tourist arrivals plummeted to 139,198 in March 2026, a stark drop from 200,736 in the same month of 2025.
The United Kingdom remained Cyprus’ largest tourist market in March 2026, accounting for 32.9 per cent of total visitors. However, British arrivals also fell, dropping to 45,763 from 61,545 a year earlier. British tourists spent an average of €669.43 per person and €69.01 per day, down from €694.08 per person and €78.87 per day in March 2025. Their average stay increased to 9.7 days, up from 8.8 days the previous year.
Poland ranked as the second largest market, contributing 12.6 per cent of total tourists. Arrivals from Poland decreased to 17,604 from 19,827 in March 2025, with Polish tourists spending an average of €401.76 per person. Although their expenditure per person fell from €433.59 a year earlier, average daily spending rose to €81.99 from €76.07.
Germany followed as the third largest market, accounting for 10.8 per cent of visitors. Tourist arrivals from Germany reached 14,999 in March 2026, down from 16,084 in March 2025. Spending levels were also affected, with German tourists averaging €724.25 per person and €77.88 per day, compared to €810.59 and €97.66 the previous year.
Greek arrivals also saw a decrease, falling to 9,009 in March 2026 from 13,053 a year earlier. Greek tourists spent an average of €470.47 per person, with daily spending at €58.81, while their average stay rose to 8 days from 5.5 days.
In contrast, Austria was among the few markets to record an increase in arrivals, with 3,617 tourists in March 2026, up from 2,841 the previous year. Austrian tourists also boasted one of the highest spending averages, at €763.74 per person and €117.50 per day. Sweden also distinguished itself in terms of expenditure, with tourists spending an average of €834.12 per person, although their arrivals fell to 2,557 from 3,449 in March 2025.
French arrivals dropped significantly to 1,782 from 3,367 a year earlier, with average spending declining to €571.28 per person and €68.83 per day. Italy experienced a similar trend, with arrivals reaching 1,416 compared to 1,987 in March 2025, leading to an average spend of €445.63 per person.
The most dramatic change was observed in the Israeli market, where arrivals collapsed to 1,537 from 28,353 in March 2025. This downturn is particularly concerning given that Israeli tourists were once among the highest spenders in Cyprus, averaging €661.94 per person and €194.69 per day in March 2025. The March 2026 data for Israel is noted as having low reliability due to the significantly reduced sample size.
Similarly, arrivals from Lebanon fell to 1,193 from 2,042 in March 2025, with Lebanese tourists previously averaging €975.94 per person and €154.91 per day, further contributing to the overall decline in tourism revenue.
