Cyprus sees more tourists, less revenue in May — Brits lead the way

Tourist arrivals to Cyprus amounted to 421,400 visitors in May 2024, marking an increase of 0.3 per cent from the 420,076 recorded in the same month of the previous year, according to a report released on Tuesday by the Cyprus Statistical Service (Cystat).

However, tourism revenue for May 2024 amounted to €310.5 million, a slight decrease of 0.2 per cent compared to the corresponding month of the previous year, which saw €311.0 million in tourism revenue.

From January to May 2024, tourism receipts are estimated at €751.2 million, compared to €728.6 million in the same period of 2023, reflecting an increase of 3.1 per cent. This uptick highlights a steady growth in the tourism sector over the early months of the year.

In terms of expenditure, the per capita spending of tourists in May 2024 was €736.82, a small drop of 0.5 per cent compared to €740.36 in May 2023.

British tourists, who represent the largest tourist market with 39.8 per cent of all tourists in May 2024, spent an average of €83.18 per day.

In contrast, Israeli tourists, the second largest market at 7.9 per cent, spent significantly more with an average daily expenditure of €161.66.

Polish tourists, the third largest market, showed an increase in both per capita and daily spending. In May 2024, Polish visitors spent €544.33 per capita and €86.40 per day, up from €508.53 per capita and €79.46 per day in May 2023.

Austrian tourists saw an increase in their per capita spending from €799.95 to €838.45, despite a longer average stay. Similarly, tourists from Switzerland and Germany maintained high daily expenditures, with Swiss tourists spending €144.88 per day, up from €107.26 in May 2023.

French and German visitors showed slight increases in their spending per capita and per day, with French tourists spending €666.15 per capita and €104.09 daily.

Conversely, tourists from Greece showed a notable decrease in both per capita and daily spending. In May 2024, Greek visitors spent €338.43 per capita, down from €367.62 in May 2023. Their daily spending also saw a reduction, dropping from €41.78 in May 2023 to €38.03 in May 2024.

This decline reflects a broader trend of lower expenditures among several European markets, including Greece. Despite the decrease in spending, the number of Greek tourists increased from 15,190 arrivals in May 2023 to 17,745 in May 2024.

Tourists from Belgium showed a notable decrease in both per capita and daily spending. In May 2024, Belgian tourists spent €870.67 per capita and €122.63 per day, compared to €1,016.94 per capita and €111.75 per day in May 2023.

Visitors from Finland demonstrated a stable expenditure trend with per capita spending of €670.92 in May 2024, slightly down from €680.84 in May 2023. However, their daily spending saw an increase from €95.89 to €103.22.

Tourists from the Netherlands decreased their per capita spending from €891.94 in May 2023 to €767.65 in May 2024. Their daily spending also dropped from €120.53 to €81.66.

Swedish tourists displayed a decrease in per capita spending from €737.77 in May 2023 to €689.10 in May 2024. However, their daily expenditure rose from €72.33 to €90.67.

Other notable changes include tourists from Norway, who reduced their per capita spending from €795.67 in May 2023 to €747.72 in May 2024, and their daily spending dropped significantly from €88.41 to €69.23.