Resident-to-tourist ratio places Cyprus third across EU

Cyprus records 19.4 tourist nights per resident in 2025Cyprus recorded the third-highest tourism intensity in the European Union in 2025, with an average of 19.4 nights spent in tourist accommodation per resident, according to a report from Eurostat. The island ranked behind Croatia, which recorded 24.5 nights per inhabitant, and Malta, with 21.7, placing Cyprus among the EU countries where tourism activity is highest relative to the resident population. Greece followed with 15.1 nights per inhabitant, while Austria recorded 14.6, the report added. Across the EU, tourism intensity averaged 7.0 nights per resident in 2025, up from 6.7 in 2024. At the other end of the scale, Romania recorded the lowest figure, at 1.6 nights per inhabitant, followed by Latvia at 2.7, and Poland and Slovakia, both at 2.9. The figures come as the EU recorded 3.1 billion nights spent in tourist accommodation establishments in 2025, up 4.1 per cent from 3.0 billion in 2024. The total represented a 26.5 per cent increase compared with 2015, when tourist accommodation across the bloc recorded 2.5 billion nights. Domestic and international tourists accounted for almost equal numbers of overnight stays across the EU in 2025. Tourists from domestic markets and other EU member states accounted for 80.9 per cent of all nights, equivalent to approximately 2.5 billion stays, while visitors from other European countries accounted for a further 10.4 per cent. Tourists from the Americas, including North, Central and South America, accounted for 4.9 per cent of overnight stays, or 155.5 million nights. Visitors from Asia represented 2.6 per cent, equivalent to 81.6 million nights, while tourists from Oceania accounted for 0.5 per cent, or 15.2 million nights. Guests from Africa accounted for the remaining 0.4 per cent, representing 12.9 million nights. The strongest annual increases in overnight stays between 2024 and 2025 came from visitors from Asia, whose stays rose by 15.4 per cent, and Africa, where they increased by 13.7 per cent. Over the longer term, nights spent by tourists from the Americas more than doubled between 2015 and 2025, increasing by 101.9 per cent from nearly 77 million. The tourism intensity measure compares the number of nights spent in tourist accommodation establishments with the permanent resident population of each country, providing an indication of tourism activity relative to population size. What is the current state of Cyprus’ tourism sector now? Cyprus recorded its highest-ever September tourist arrivals in 2026, welcoming 580,889 visitors, an increase of 1.80 per cent year-on-year, according to data from the Cyprus Statistical Service (Cystat). Deputy Tourism Minister Kostas Koumis attributed the recovery to growth in key markets, led by Israel, where arrivals rose by 31.40 per cent, followed by the United Kingdom, up 2.80 per cent, and Greece, up 16.10 per cent. The gains helped offset sharp declines in arrivals from several other European markets. Despite September’s record, total tourist arrivals between January and September fell by 5.60 per cent year-on-year to 3,401,538. However, the annual shortfall has narrowed steadily since spring, reflecting the resilience of Cyprus’ tourism sector following earlier geopolitical disruptions in the Middle East.