Cyprus recorded the steepest decline in overnight stays at tourist accommodation establishments among European Union countries in the first half of 2026, with a 7.7% fall compared with the same period of 2025, according to data released by Eurostat on Tuesday.
Despite the decline, Cyprus remained one of the EU's most tourism-dependent destinations. Non-residents accounted for 92.6% of all overnight stays in tourist accommodation during the first six months of the year, the second-highest share in the bloc after Malta.
According to Eurostat, nine EU member states recorded year-on-year declines in overnight stays, with the largest drops registered in Cyprus, at 7.7%, and Romania, at 6.7%.
By contrast, the strongest increases were recorded in Ireland, up 14.6%, Malta, up 9.9%, and Slovakia, up 5.9%.
EU overnight stays rise 1.7%
Across the EU, tourist accommodation establishments recorded 1.321 billion overnight stays in the first half of 2026, compared with 1.299 billion during the corresponding period of 2025, representing annual growth of 1.7%.
Foreign visitors, defined as non-residents of the country where the overnight stay took place, accounted for 48.9% of all overnight stays across the EU during the period.
Eurostat noted significant differences between member states in the extent to which their tourism sectors relied on international visitors.
Malta recorded the highest share of overnight stays by non-residents at 95.2%, followed by Cyprus at 92.6% and Luxembourg at 87.7%.
At the other end of the scale, foreign visitors accounted for less than a quarter of overnight stays in Germany, at 18.5%, Poland, at 19.8%, and Romania, at 23%.
The data also showed that overnight stays by foreign visitors grew faster than those of domestic travellers during the first half of the year. Overnight stays by non-residents increased by 2.5% compared with the same period of 2025, while overnight stays by residents rose by 0.9%.
Source: CNA / Eurostat
