Cyprus recorded its highest-ever number of tourist arrivals for September, with 580,889 visitors in 2026, up 1.8% from 570,635 a year earlier. The rebound comes after months of disruption linked to geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, although arrivals for the first nine months of the year remain below 2025 levels.
According to the Cyprus Statistical Service (Cystat), September arrivals were also 14% higher than in September 2024, when the island welcomed 509,463 tourists. Deputy Tourism Minister Kostas Koumis said the figures demonstrated the sector’s resilience after regional tensions and negative publicity created uncertainty in March.
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Year-To-Date Decline Continues To Narrow
Cyprus welcomed 3.4 million tourists between January and September, down 5.6% from 3.6 million in the same period of 2025. The shortfall has narrowed steadily, from 10.1% at the end of June to 8% in July and 7% in August.
Despite the annual decline, arrivals remained 4.1% above the first nine months of 2024 and 8.3% higher than in 2023, indicating continued growth over the longer term.
Israel And The UK Drive September Arrivals
Israel recorded the strongest growth among Cyprus’s main source markets, with arrivals rising 31.4% year on year to 105,249. The number was 92.9% higher than in September 2024, and Israeli visitors accounted for 18.1% of all arrivals, compared with 14% a year earlier.
The UK remained the island’s largest source market, contributing 184,345 visitors, or 31.7% of the total. British arrivals increased by 2.8% year on year and were 1.9% above their September 2024 level. Together, the UK and Israel accounted for almost half of all visitors during the month.
Greece also supported the rebound, with arrivals rising 16.1% to 19,995. However, several other European markets recorded declines. Poland, Cyprus’s third-largest market in September, fell 7.5% to 41,636 visitors, while Germany was down 11.6% to 30,362. Arrivals from France dropped 48.9% to 4,994.
Tourism Strategy Looks Ahead To 2027
Koumis said the results reflected the government’s efforts to preserve existing travel programmes and strengthen cooperation with strategic partners despite geopolitical uncertainty. Maintaining established visitor flows had been a priority, while tourism planning was adapted to changing conditions.
The Deputy Ministry of Tourism has now begun preparing for 2027, with a focus on sustaining growth and attracting visitors from markets that have experienced declines. The longer-term objective is to improve the quality and sustainability of Cyprus’s tourism offering while ensuring that growth benefits local communities and supports the economy.
