Cyprus ranked among the European Union countries with the highest shares of foreign visitors in tourist overnight stays in the first quarter of 2026, according to data published by Eurostat on Tuesday.
Foreign visitors accounted for 85.6% of total overnight stays in Cyprus during the period, placing the country second in the EU after Malta, which recorded a share of 93.3%. Luxembourg followed with 85.1%. By contrast, the lowest proportions of foreign visitors were reported in Germany at 19.9%, Poland at 20.2% and Romania at 22.4%.
Across the European Union, foreign visitors represented about 46.6% of total overnight stays in the first quarter of 2026, Eurostat said.
Cyprus recorded 368,639 overnight stays in January, rising to 476,000 in February and 503,579 in March, across accommodation establishments including hotels, holiday rentals and other short‑stay facilities. On a year‑on‑year basis, overnight stays increased by 14.4% in January and 32.2% in February, before falling by 36.8% in March.
At EU level, total overnight stays in tourist accommodation reached 471.1 million in the first quarter of 2026, up 3.4% compared with the same period a year earlier. January accounted for 143.5 million overnight stays, February for 154.4 million and March for 173.2 million.
Among member states, Ireland recorded the largest annual increase in overnight stays in the first quarter, up 35.3%, followed by Malta at 11.1% and Denmark at 9.3%. Declines were recorded in nine countries, with Lithuania posting the steepest drop at 12.9%, followed by Romania at 6.7% and Luxembourg at 3.8%.
Source: Eurostat, CNA
