Cyprus is on track to break the four-million tourists’ barrier for the first time after visitors in November increased 9.7%, official data shows.
Tourist arrivals reached 158,685 last month from 144,676 in November 2017, recording an increase of 9.7%.
It was the highest volume of tourist arrivals ever recorded in Cyprus during November while it was the 41st consecutive monthly increase, indicating there have been 3.5 years of tourism growth.
For the 11 months up to November, arrivals of tourists jumped 7.8% to total 3.83 million compared to
3.55 million in the same period last year.
This is the highest number of tourists ever recorded in the history of Cyprus tourism.
Tourist arrivals from Greece (+14.2%) and Germany (+19%) were biggest movers in November compared to the same month last year.
On the downside, there was a 2.4% dip from biggest market the United Kingdom and 0.2% decline from second largest source Russia.
The UK is still the main source of tourism for Cyprus with a 31.5% share in November while arrivals from Russia followed with 13.5% and Greece was third with 9.8%.
“This successful performance for November is to be added to a series of positive results for 2018 since all the months of the year registered historical records for that month,” said the Cyprus Tourism Organisation in a statement.
“Over the last 12 months (December 2017-November 2018), total arrivals exceeded 3.9 million and amounted to 3,930,986. This is the best 12 months in the history of Cypriot tourism,” it added.
Regarding the main markets-sources of Cyprus for the period January-November 2018, most continue to register an overall increase.
For the 11 months to November, arrivals from the UK increased 5.7%, Greece increased 9.5%, the Nordic countries averagd 12.7%, Ukraine (+46.8%), Romania (+38.9%), Netherlands (+11.4%), Poland (+57.7%) and Switzerland (+27.8%).
Next month, the CTO will be dismantled, and a Ministry of Tourism created.
The eastern Mediterranean island has benefited from its reputation as a regional safe haven as unrest has hit the tourism sectors of its traditional competitors Egypt, Tunisia and Turkey.
A then-record 3.65 million tourists enjoyed a Cyprus holiday last year, spending an unprecedented 2.6 billion euros.
The tourism boom helped Cyprus return to growth following a €10-billion bailout to rescue its crumbling economy and insolvent banks in March 2013.
Income from tourism now accounts for about 15% of the country’s gross domestic product and is credited with underpinning a quick recovery with GDP growth averaging at 4%.
