Tourism arrivals up by 4.3% in August

Tourism arrivals showed fairly strong growth in August, rising by 4.3% to 304,264 in August 2010, compared with 291,583 in August 2009.
A massive increase of 81.1% was recorded in tourist arrivals from Russia (from 20,660 in August 2009 to 37,416 in August 2010), which might have been related to the fires that bedevilled Russia in that month.
There was 7.0% increase from Sweden (from 16,950 to 18,132) and an 8.5% increase from Germany (from 10.552 to 11.444 this year).
On the negative side, the biggest market still showed a decline: there was a decrease of 5.0% in tourist arrivals from the United Kingdom (149,814 in August 2010 compared with 157,669 in August 2009) and a 13.9% decrease from Greece (10,561 compared with 12,261 last year).
For the period January – August 2010 arrivals of tourists inched up by 0.7% to reach 1,488,329 compared with 1,478,712 in the corresponding period of 2009.

Revenue down in July
Revenue ha still not kept pace with tourism arrivals.
On the basis of the results of the Passenger Survey, revenue from tourism reached EUR 231.1 mln in July 2010 compared with EUR 232.5 mln in the corresponding month of the previous year, recording a decrease of 0.6%.
For the period January – July 2010 revenue from tourism is estimated at EUR 809.4 mln, a rise of 1.4% over the EUR 798.3 mln recorded in the corresponding period of 2009.

Increase in trips abroad
Statistical Service figures appeared to defy newspaper reports that many Cypriots stayed at home this year, heading for the eastern resorts of Protaras and Ayia Napa.
On the basis of the results of the Passengers Survey, 176,903 residents of Cyprus returned from a trip abroad in August 2010 compared with 166,548 in the corresponding month last year, recording an increase of 6.2%.
In August 2009 there had been a decline of 3.8%.
There was an increase of 0.4% in trips of residents to Greece (from 67,334 in August 2009 to 67,630 in August 2010) and 9.4% increase for the United Kingdom (from 25,838 to 28,271 this year).