This year’s September was the best in the history of Cypriot tourism, with 580,889 arrivals and an annual increase of 1.8%, according to the Statistical Service. The rise, largely attributed to the recovery of the Israeli market, is the sector’s first positive performance since March, when geopolitical tensions in the Middle East dealt it a heavy blow.
September in numbers
Arrivals in September reached 580,889, compared with 570,635 in the same month of 2025, an increase of 10,254 visitors.
By purpose of visit:
- 84.8% travelled to Cyprus for holidays
- 9.8% came to visit friends or relatives
- 5.2% travelled for business
Meanwhile, trips abroad by Cyprus residents fell marginally by 0.4%, to 165,447 in September.
Israel as the catalyst
The Israeli market provided the biggest boost in September, with arrivals rising by 31.4% to 105,249. Israel was the second-largest source of tourism for Cyprus, accounting for 18.1% of the total.
Main source markets
- United Kingdom: remained in first place with 184,345 arrivals, or 31.7% of the total, up 2.8% year on year
- Israel: 105,249 arrivals, up 31.4%
- Greece: arrivals rose 16.1% to 19,995
By contrast, other major European markets declined:
- Germany: down 11.6%
- Poland: down 7.5%
- Sweden: down 9.3%
Losses narrowing
Despite the positive September, overall performance since the start of the year still falls short of last year’s levels. Between January and September 2026, arrivals reached 3,401,538, compared with 3,604,790 in 2025, a decrease of 5.6%.
However, the nine-month figure is the second-best in the history of Cypriot tourism, as Deputy Minister of Tourism Kostas Koumis noted.
Compared with 2024, arrivals were up 4.1%, while compared with 2023 the increase reached 8.3%.
“The most productive September in history”
“The overall performance in September surpassed every previous record, even September of last year, and will now be recorded as the most productive September in the history of Cypriot tourism in terms of arrivals,” Mr Koumis said.
The deputy minister added that, six months after the outbreak of the war in the Middle East, the figures show the sector returning to a very promising momentum.
Planning for 2027
Planning for 2027 has already begun, with the aim of bringing back markets affected by regional tensions and sustaining high performance.
