Cyprus residents take to the skies as overseas travel bill hits €2.53bn

Cyprus residents spent €2.53 billion travelling abroad in 2025, a 22.2 per cent increase from the previous year, as overseas trips rose by 12 per cent, according to figures released by the statistical service (Cystat) on Tuesday. The number of journeys abroad reached 1.96 million, compared with 1.75 million in 2024, while spending on domestic and overseas travel combined climbed to €2.92bn, from €2.37bn a year earlier. The figures also revealed a shift in travel habits, with 19.8 per cent more residents travelling exclusively abroad, while the number limiting their trips to Cyprus fell by 4.1 per cent. Overall, 576,394 residents made at least one domestic or overseas trip involving an overnight stay for personal purposes, marking a 6 per cent increase compared with 543,526 in 2024. In particular, the number of residents taking only domestic trips fell to 157,764, compared with 164,590 the previous year. By contrast, those travelling exclusively abroad increased to 203,102, from 169,525 in 2024. Meanwhile, the number of residents combining domestic and overseas travel also increased, although at a slower rate, rising by 2.9 per cent to 215,528. Turning to the number of journeys, domestic trips increased by 14.7 per cent to 1,858,029 in 2025, compared with 1,619,371 a year earlier. Personal travel accounted for 96.1 per cent of these trips, including holidays, leisure, visits to relatives and friends, health-related journeys and pilgrimages. Rented accommodation, including hotels, similar establishments, campsites and hostels, was used for 57.5 per cent of domestic trips, while the remaining 42.5 per cent involved non-rented accommodation, such as privately owned homes or stays with relatives and friends. Overseas travel followed a similar pattern, with rented accommodation accounting for 75.9 per cent of outbound trips, compared with 24.1 per cent involving non-rented accommodation. Of the 1,957,292 journeys abroad, 83.3 per cent were undertaken for personal reasons, while business travel accounted for the remaining 16.7 per cent. The increase in travel was accompanied by an even stronger rise in spending, particularly on domestic journeys. According to Cystat, domestic travel expenditure jumped by 28.6 per cent to €385.9m in 2025, compared with approximately €300.1m the previous year. Accommodation accounted for the largest share of domestic spending at 36.8 per cent, closely followed by food and drinks in cafes and restaurants at 36.5 per cent. Transportation costs represented a further 8.6 per cent, while the remaining 18.1 per cent went towards other goods and services. These included supermarket purchases, entertainment, cultural activities and other miscellaneous expenses. Spending on trips abroad also increased substantially, with outbound travel expenditure rising by 22.2 per cent to €2.53bn, from approximately €2.07bn in 2024. Transport remained the biggest expense for residents travelling overseas, accounting for 35.2 per cent of total spending. Accommodation followed at 23.3 per cent, while food and drinks in cafes and restaurants represented 23.1 per cent. The remaining 18.4 per cent covered other goods and services, including supermarket purchases, souvenirs, cultural activities and other travel-related expenses. The figures showed that accommodation and dining continued to absorb the largest share of domestic travel spending, whereas transport remained the main cost of travelling abroad. They also showed that spending rose considerably faster than the number of trips in both categories, with domestic expenditure increasing by 28.6 per cent against a 14.7 per cent rise in journeys, and outbound expenditure climbing by 22.2 per cent against a 12 per cent increase in trips. Finally, Cystat clarified that the number of trips should not be confused with the number of individual travellers, as one resident may undertake several journeys during the year. The annual survey on the trips of residents covers Cyprus residents aged 15 and over, including people who have lived on the island for at least 12 months or intend to remain for that period. The findings are based on a randomly selected sample of households across the five districts, covering both urban and rural areas, with information collected through telephone interviews using electronic questionnaires.