Cyprus tourism revenue rises to €536.5m in July as visitor spending offsets lower arrivals

UK and Israel lead Cyprus tourism market as July revenue reaches €536.5mCyprus tourism revenue rose by 4.6 per cent year-on-year in July to €536.5 million, according to the Cyprus Statistical Service (Cystat), as the sector recorded higher visitor spending during a summer season disrupted by the Iran war. Revenue reached €513m in July 2025, while for the first seven months of 2026 it stood at €1.76 billion, down 7.0 per cent from €1.89 billion during the same period last year. The July increase came as tourists spent considerably more during their visits, with average expenditure per person rising 5.7 per cent to €920.66, from €870.78 a year earlier. Total tourist arrivals fell slightly from 589,116 to 582,754, while the average length of stay declined from nine days to 8.6 days. Despite the shorter stays, average expenditure per day increased from €96.75 to €107.05. The United Kingdom remained Cyprus’ largest tourist market, accounting for 31.9 per cent of all arrivals, followed by Israel with 20.5 per cent and Poland with 6.3 per cent. British arrivals fell from 189,730 to 185,981, but visitors from the UK stayed longer on average, with the duration increasing from 9.9 days to 10.3 days. Their average spending per person rose sharply from €992.90 to €1,137.69, while daily spending increased from €100.29 to €110.46. Israeli arrivals, meanwhile, increased substantially from 76,557 to 119,293, with the average stay edging up from 4.6 days to 4.7 days. Average expenditure by Israeli visitors increased from €695.05 to €743.49 per person, while daily expenditure rose from €151.10 to €158.19. Polish arrivals declined from 43,713 to 36,912, while the average stay shortened from 7.5 days to 7.2 days. Average expenditure among Polish visitors fell from €676.74 to €664.37 per person, although daily spending increased from €90.23 to €92.27. German arrivals also declined, falling from 23,694 to 21,338, while their average stay decreased from 10.6 days to 10.2 days. Despite the lower numbers and shorter stays, German tourists increased their spending from €906.51 to €967.67 per person, with daily expenditure rising from €85.52 to €94.87. Swedish arrivals fell slightly from 20,455 to 19,899, while their average stay shortened from 10.1 days to 9.1 days. Average expenditure by Swedish visitors nevertheless increased from €1,029.33 to €1,041.29 per person, while daily spending rose from €101.91 to €114.43. Danish arrivals declined from 14,857 to 14,494, with the average stay falling from 8.2 days to 7.8 days. Spending by Danish tourists increased from €1,007.32 to €1,062.42 per person, while daily expenditure rose from €122.84 to €136.21. Norwegian arrivals increased from 12,704 to 14,055, with visitors spending an average of €1,261.85 per person and €138.66 per day, based on an average stay of 9.1 days. Arrivals from Greece fell from 13,383 to 12,385, while the average stay shortened from 10.3 days to 9.2 days. Greek visitors nevertheless increased their average expenditure from €427.18 to €514.72 per person, while daily spending rose from €41.47 to €55.95. Visitors from the United States increased slightly from 10,051 to 10,531, although their average stay dropped considerably from 12.9 days to 10.6 days. Average spending by US visitors fell from €1,114.82 to €884.34 per person, while daily expenditure declined from €86.42 to €83.43. Austrian arrivals fell from 12,295 to 9,068, while the average stay increased marginally from 7.7 days to 7.9 days. Average expenditure by Austrian visitors declined from €1,004.45 to €850.06 per person, with daily spending falling from €130.45 to €107.60. Swiss arrivals also dropped, from 12,033 to 8,609, but the average length of stay increased significantly from 7.6 days to 9.3 days. Average spending by Swiss visitors rose from €900.93 to €1,196.34 per person, while daily expenditure increased from €118.54 to €128.64. Arrivals from the Netherlands declined from 8,630 to 6,973, although the average stay increased from 9.1 days to 9.9 days. Dutch visitors spent an average of €886.65 per person, down from €975.66, while daily spending fell from €107.22 to €89.56. French arrivals recorded one of the sharper declines among the main markets, falling from 12,648 to 6,797, while the average stay increased slightly from 9.6 days to 9.7 days. Despite the substantial fall in arrivals, average expenditure by French visitors increased from €813.63 to €899.65 per person, with daily spending rising from €84.75 to €92.75. Belgian arrivals moved in the opposite direction, increasing from 3,614 to 4,157, while the average stay rose from 8.8 days to 9.4 days. Average expenditure by Belgian visitors increased from €1,095.63 to €1,179.80 per person, while daily spending rose from €124.50 to €125.51. Finnish arrivals also increased slightly, from 3,701 to 4,112, the figures showed. Italian arrivals fell sharply from 7,970 to 4,019, while the average stay shortened from 7.9 days to 6.4 days. Average expenditure by Italian visitors declined from €717.54 to €664.65 per person, although daily spending increased from €90.83 to €103.85. Arrivals from Lebanon decreased from 6,396 to 5,481, the statistical service reported. The July figures show that higher spending per visitor more than offset the effect of slightly lower arrivals during the month, with the increase in revenue coming despite a shorter average duration of stay. At the same time, the cumulative picture for the first seven months remains weaker than last year, with tourism revenue down 7.0 per cent from the €1.89bn recorded between January and July 2025.