Accra:Tourist arrivals reached a new high in September, totaling 580,889 and marking a 1.8% increase compared to September 2025, which saw 570,635 arrivals. However, for the first nine months of the year, there has been a year-over-year decrease of 5.6%, with a total of 3,401,538 arrivals compared to 3,604,790 during the same period in 2025.

According to Cyprus News Agency, data from the Statistical Service showed that the United Kingdom was the primary source of tourism for September 2026, accounting for 31.7% (184,345) of total arrivals. This was followed by Israel with 18.1% (105,249), Poland with 7.2% (41,636), Germany with 5.2% (30,362), Greece with 3.4% (19,995), and Sweden with 3.2% (18,656).

In September 2026, the majority of tourists, 84.8%, traveled for holidays, 9.8% visited friends and relatives, and 5.2% traveled for business purposes. These figures are consistent with September 2025, where 84.8% visited for holidays, 10.1% for visiting friends or relatives, and 5% for business purposes.

CYSTAT reported that 165,447 residents of Cyprus returned from trips abroad in September 2026, a slight decrease of 0.4% compared to 166,129 in the same month the previous year. The main destinations from which Cypriot residents returned were Greece at 35.9% (59,422), the United Kingdom at 6.5% (10,755), Italy at 5.6% (9,227), and Russia at 4.7% (7,711).

For Cypriot residents, the primary purpose of travel in September 2026 was holidays, accounting for 82.9% of trips. Business travel constituted 14.3%, while studies and other reasons accounted for 1.5% and 1.2%, respectively.