Cyprus surpassed its pre-pandemic tourism figures in 2024, as international arrivals and revenues rose sharply, aligning with a global rebound that brought worldwide travel nearly back to 2019 levels, according to data from the UN World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) and Eurostat. 

The island welcomed over 4.04 million international visitors in 2024, overtaking its previous record of 3.977 million set in 2019. Tourism revenue climbed to €3.2 billion, up 7.3 per cent year on year.  

The upward trend continued into 2025, with April arrivals rising 25.5 per cent and May up 13.7 per cent compared to the same months in 2024. From January to May, the number of visitors reached 1.34m, a 14.9 per cent increase on an annual basis. 

The UK remained the largest source market for Cyprus, accounting for more than a third of all visitors in the first half of the year.  

Israel, Germany, Poland, Sweden and Greece followed. Spending mirrored this demand, with May 2025 revenue reaching €373.3m, up 20.2 per cent year on year, and total receipts for the first five months of the year rising to €955.8m, a 27.2 per cent annual increase. 

According to UNWTO figures, international tourism globally reached between 1.3bn and 1.4bn arrivals in 2023, representing around 89 per cent of the 2019 level.  

Global tourism receipts stood between USD 1.6 and 1.8 trillion, or more than 95 per cent of their pre-pandemic value.  

By the first quarter of 2025, arrivals had climbed 5 per cent year on year and were already 3 per cent above 2019. 

Europe remained the most visited region worldwide, while the Middle East posted the strongest growth. The Americas neared full recovery, and Asia-Pacific continued to regain momentum following prolonged travel restrictions. 

UNWTO’s global dashboard shows that Cyprus maintained over 100,000 registered tourist beds, with hotel occupancy consistently exceeding 80 per cent in the summer months.  

Short-term rentals, particularly in coastal areas, continued to grow, with local authorities expanding licensing and digital monitoring systems. Tourism accounted for roughly 10 to 12 per cent of Cyprus’ GDP and supported close to 20 per cent of national employment, with jobs in accommodation and food services increasing by 5 per cent in 2024. 

At the EU level, Eurostat confirmed that the bloc received 25.9 per cent of all global international tourism receipts in 2023.  

Of this, 15.2 per cent came from intra-EU travel and 10.7 per cent from third-country visitors. Ten EU member states, Spain, France, Italy, Germany, Portugal, Austria, Greece, the Netherlands, Croatia and Poland, each generated at least 1 per cent of global tourism receipts. 

Outside the EU, 18 countries exceeded the 1 per cent threshold. The United States led with a 12.3 per cent share, followed by the United Kingdom at 4.8 per cent.  

While the US remained the top-earning single destination, the EU bloc far surpassed any individual country in combined receipts.

According to Eurostat’s most recent expenditure figures, EU residents made over 1.1bn overnight trips in 2023, spending €555bn.  

Of that, 43 per cent was on domestic travel and 57 per cent abroad, with 85 per cent of outbound spending remaining in Europe, including 77 per cent within the EU. The average trip cost €485 and lasted five nights. Germany and France accounted for nearly half of all EU tourism expenditure. 

Cyprus, which draws over 85 per cent of its visitors from Europe, benefited directly from this intra-regional demand. Flights into Larnaca and Paphos exceeded 4m passengers in 2024. International air travel overall returned to over 90 per cent of 2019 levels, with charter operations and low-cost routes expanding in 2025. 

Tourism intensity in Cyprus also ranked among the highest in the EU, with an estimated 17 overnight stays per resident in 2023. According to UNWTO data, the island’s performance placed it among Europe’s top tourism earners relative to population.