Tourist arrivals to Cyprus returned to growth in September, rising by 1.8 per cent despite declines across most European markets, as stronger arrivals from Israel, Britain and Greece helped offset continued losses elsewhere.
A total of 580,889 tourist arrivals were recorded during the month, compared with 570,635 in September 2025, according to figures released on Monday by the statistical service (Cystat).
The increase represents a change from August, when arrivals had fallen by 3.3 per cent, and brings September 14 per cent above the same month in 2024, when Cyprus welcomed 509,463 tourists.
For the January to September period, arrivals reached 3,401,538, down by 5.6 per cent from 3,604,790 during the corresponding period of 2025. Cyprus therefore received 203,252 fewer tourists during the first nine months of the year.
The annual shortfall has continued to narrow since spring, falling from 10.1 per cent at the end of June to 8 per cent in July, 7 per cent in August and now 5.6 per cent after September.
Unlike August, when the gap with 2025 widened despite an improvement in the percentage decline, September also reduced the actual number of missing arrivals. The shortfall fell from 213,506 at the end of August to 203,252, as the month brought 10,254 more tourists than a year earlier.
Looking further back, however, the picture is somewhat stronger. The nine-month total was 4.1 per cent higher than in 2024, when Cyprus recorded 3,268,090 arrivals, although it remains below the record levels reached in 2025.
The United Kingdom remained Cyprus’ largest tourism market, accounting for 31.7 per cent of all arrivals in September, with 184,345 visitors.
British arrivals increased by 2.8 per cent from 179,293 in September 2025 and were also 1.9 per cent higher than the 180,961 recorded two years earlier.
Israel once again provided the strongest increase among Cyprus’ major tourism markets, with arrivals climbing to 105,249, up 31.4 per cent from 80,115 last year.
Compared with September 2024, when Cyprus received 54,557 Israeli tourists, the increase was considerably larger, reaching 92.9 per cent.
Israel consequently accounted for 18.1 per cent of all tourist arrivals, compared with 14 per cent a year earlier and 10.7 per cent in September 2024.
The scale of that increase becomes clearer when looking at the actual numbers. Israel alone contributed 25,134 additional arrivals compared with September 2025, more than twice the overall increase of 10,254 tourists recorded during the month.
Without that additional traffic from Israel, arrivals from all other markets combined would have been 14,880 below last year’s level.
Together, Britain and Israel generated almost half of all tourist arrivals to Cyprus in September, highlighting how heavily the month’s growth depended on the two markets.
Poland remained the third-largest market, although arrivals fell by 7.5 per cent to 41,636, from 45,019 in September 2025.
The latest figure was also 1.6 per cent below September 2024, when Cyprus received 42,295 Polish tourists, showing that the market has yet to return to the level recorded two years ago.
Germany followed with 30,362 arrivals, down 11.6 per cent from 34,348 last year.
German tourism nevertheless performed considerably better against 2024, with arrivals 23.5 per cent above the 24,594 recorded that September.
Greece, meanwhile, was one of the few markets to register growth, with arrivals increasing by 16.1 per cent to 19,995, compared with 17,217 last year.
The increase was stronger still against September 2024, when Cyprus welcomed 15,479 visitors from Greece, leaving this year’s total 29.2 per cent higher.
The improvement also marks a reversal from August, when Greek arrivals had fallen by 9.7 per cent compared with the previous year.
Sweden generated 18,656 tourists, a decrease of 9.3 per cent from 20,570 in September 2025.
Swedish arrivals were also 13.7 per cent below September 2024, when the market accounted for 21,609 visitors.
Romania recorded 15,058 arrivals, representing a sharper annual decline of 16.2 per cent from 17,975 last year.
Despite that reduction, Romanian arrivals remained 2.4 per cent above the 14,705 registered in September 2024.
Austria also recorded a sizeable decline, with arrivals falling by 13.8 per cent to 10,637, compared with 12,333 a year earlier.
However, the Austrian market remained 9 per cent above its September 2024 level of 9,758 tourists.
Switzerland accounted for 10,599 visitors, down just 0.6 per cent from 10,663 last year, making it one of the more stable European markets during September.
Compared with 2024, however, Swiss arrivals were 6.7 per cent lower than the 11,366 recorded that year.
Norway followed with 9,457 arrivals, almost unchanged from the 9,495 recorded in September 2025, representing a decline of just 0.4 per cent.
The Norwegian market remained 9.4 per cent below September 2024, when 10,439 visitors travelled to Cyprus.
Hungary generated 8,991 tourists, a decrease of 2.9 per cent from 9,264 last year, while remaining almost identical to the 8,998 recorded two years earlier.
Denmark accounted for 8,354 arrivals, down 8.3 per cent from 9,113 in September 2025 and 7.3 per cent below the 9,015 registered in 2024.
The Netherlands recorded 7,121 tourists, representing a 9 per cent annual decline from 7,821. Dutch arrivals were also 5.2 per cent lower than the 7,509 recorded in September 2024.
France suffered by far the sharpest decline among the markets listed by Cystat, with arrivals falling by 48.9 per cent to just 4,994, compared with 9,771 in September 2025.
The comparison with 2024 offers little encouragement. Cyprus received 9,870 French tourists that September, meaning arrivals from France have fallen by almost half over the past two years.
The latest figures therefore show that, while Cyprus has returned to overall growth, the improvement remains far from evenly distributed across its European markets.
Lebanon was another exception to the wider decline, recording 4,166 arrivals, up 8.9 per cent from 3,827 last year.
However, Lebanese arrivals were still 7.7 per cent below September 2024, when Cyprus welcomed 4,512 tourists from the country.
Finally, countries grouped under other markets generated 101,269 arrivals, down 2.4 per cent from 103,811 in September 2025.
Even so, the figure was 20.9 per cent higher than the 83,796 arrivals recorded in September 2024.
The latest results also provide a more encouraging picture for the remainder of the year than appeared likely during the spring, when regional instability caused considerable disruption to flights and tourism bookings.