Cyprus saw a notable rise in tourism during May 2025, with tourist arrivals increasing by 13.7% compared to the same month last year. Data released by the Statistical Service of Cyprus shows that a total of 479,160 visitors entered the country in May, up from 421,400 in May 2024.
Cumulatively, from January through May 2025, tourist arrivals reached 1,344,486—marking a 14.9% year-on-year increase from the 1,170,214 visitors recorded during the same period in 2024.
Key Source Markets
The United Kingdom continued to dominate as Cyprus’s primary source of incoming tourism, contributing 37.4% of total arrivals for the month of May, with 179,150 visitors. This was followed by:
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Israel: 9.4% (45,249 visitors)
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Poland: 7.7% (36,800 visitors)
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Germany: 6.2% (29,938 visitors)
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Sweden: 4.8% (22,924 visitors)
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Greece: 3.7% (17,591 visitors)
Purpose of Travel
Holidaymaking remained the primary motivation for visits, accounting for 81.2% of tourist arrivals in May 2025. A further 11.1% of tourists were visiting friends or relatives, while 7.6% traveled for business purposes. These figures compare to May 2024, when 83.7% visited for leisure, 9.8% for social visits, and 6.3% for business.
Outbound Travel by Cyprus Residents
The number of Cypriot residents returning from trips abroad during May 2025 totaled 143,296—a slight decline of 0.5% from 144,042 in May 2024.
Greece was the top destination for returning residents, accounting for 28.3% (40,494), followed by the United Kingdom with 8.1% (11,555), and Italy with 7.1% (10,202).
The majority of Cypriot travelers—66.9%—returned from trips taken for holiday purposes. Business travel accounted for 29.7%, while 2.3% traveled for study and 1.1% for other reasons.
Source: Stockwatch.com.cy
