Tourism in Cyprus

Arrivals by country

Europe represents the lion's share of tourist arrivals. Over 80% of visitors come from Northern, Western and Eastern Europe, while British tourists remain the most traditional. Several factors contribute to this, including widely spoken English as well as the traditional links from British colonialism and the presence of British military bases at Akrotiri and Dhekelia. The downturn in the British economy in the late 2000s was reflected in a drop in tourist arrivals highlighting the over-reliance of Cyprus' tourist industry on one customer. In 2009 efforts were underway to boost arrivals from other countries. Notably, and inline with the latest geopolitical developments, the second largest segment is Russian tourists - a segment expected to increase even further.

Total number of tourists in Cyprus in 2016 was 3,186,531. Most visitors arriving to Cyprus on short term basis in 2016 were from the following countries:

Competitiveness

According to the World Economic Forum's 2013 Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report, Cyprus' tourism industry ranks 29th in the world in terms of overall competitiveness. In terms of Tourism Infrastructure, in relation to the tourism industry Cyprus ranks 1st in the world. With some of the most popular and cleanest beaches in Europe, much of the tourist industry relies on "sea sun and sand" to attract tourists. This reflects in the seasonal distribution of tourist arrivals with a disproportionate number arriving during the summer months. Whereas most eastern resorts like Protaras and Ayia Napa lie dormant in the winter months the west of the island remains open to tourism with the promotion of Cypriot history culture, art and specialized sports such as golf and tennis has a wider distribution.

Investment

The World Travel and Tourism Council 2016 report on the island outlines that the total investment in the Travel & Tourism industry in 2015 was EUR273.7mn, or 14.0% of the total investments. It projects a rise by 5.3% in 2016 and 2.9% pa over the next ten years to EUR384.6mn in 2026.

Blue Flags

According to the latest KPMG report, Cyprus has the most dense concentration of Blue Flag beaches, the most Blue Flag beaches per coastline and the most Blue Flags per capita in the world.

Safety & Security

In a 2015 global survey based on data on population, CO2 Emissions, Police personnel, traffic deaths, thefts, assaults and life expectancy the island state ranked as the 5th safest country in the world.

Language & Service

English is the universal language since the island has an international outlook. French and German are also well spoken within the tourist industry. Greek and Turkish remain the main languages spoken by the Greek-Cypriot and Turkish-Cypriot communities respectively.

Personnel & Education

In 2012, Eurostat reported that Cyprus is the most educated country in Europe after Ireland since 49.9% of Cyprus’s residents have degrees. In 2013, only three other EU Member States invested more public funds in education than Cyprus, as measured by the share of GDP (6.5% compared to a 5.0% EU average).

The Cyprus Tourism Organization (CTO)

The CTO has a status of a semi-governmental organization charged with overseeing the industry practices and promoting the island as a tourism destination abroad. In 2007 the CTO spent a reported €20 million on promotion.