Cyprus tourism arrivals up 5.6 pct Jan-March-stats

Tourism arrivals to the east Mediterranean island Cyprus rose by 5.6 percent from January to March year on year, the statistics department said on Tuesday.

Visitors to Cyprus totalled 205,006 in the first three months of 2010 compared to 194,127 in the first quarter of 2009, data showed.

Last month alone there was a 14.8 percent rise to 103,803 arrivals from 90,434.

Tourists from Britain, the main country supplier, rose 5.7 percent in March while German visitors were more than 20 percent up. But the statistics showed a decline in French and Dutch tourists, down 27.7 percent and 19.8 percent respectively last month.

Tourism represents about 11 percent of Cyprus's gross domestic product. The island fell into recession in the second half of 2009 and was hit hard by a slump in visitor numbers.