Cyprus tourism fall less steeply in April

Tourism arrivals fell over the year-earlier period less steeply in April than in February and March but the main reason could have been the timing of western Easter.
On the basis of the results of the Passengers Survey, arrivals of tourists reached 181,395 in April 2009 compared with 182,091 in April 2008, recording a decrease of 0.4%.
This was much milder than the fall of 18.1% recorded in March and 21.6% record in February. However, rather than signalling the end of the global economic crisis, it probably merely reflects the timing of western Easter, which was celebrated on April 12 in 2009 and March 23 in 2008.
In 2009, therefore, it is likely that more people arrived in April than in March.
This is mainly apparent in arrivals from Germany, which rose by 56.5% to 15,683, from 10,138 in April 2008.
However, the market for the UK, the biggest market, was still weak, with a decrease of 9.9% to 84,526. There was also a fall of 15.6% to 8,259 in visitors from Sweden.
Another disappointing outcome was from Russia, with arrivals down 11.8% over April 2008 to 9,455, the first time a fall has been recorded since January 2007. Here, Easter did not play a part, since Orthodox Easter fell on April 19 in 2009 and on April 27 in 2008.
On the other hand, there was an increase of 23.7% to 15,708 in arrivals from Greece.
For the period January – April 2009 arrivals of tourists totalled 375,523 compared to 411,054 in the corresponding period of 2008, recording a decrease of 8.6%.
Meanwhile 83,899 residents of Cyprus returned from a trip abroad in March 2009 compared with 87,932 in the corresponding month of last year, recording a decrease of 4.6%.
In March 2009 there was a decrease of 4.6% to 28,678 in trips to Greece as well as a 4.0% decrease to 20,523 in trips to the UK.

Fiona Mullen
www.sapientaeconomics.com