Philenews

Tourism: Good Start to the New Year

Published February 17, 2026, 12:19
Tourism: Good Start to the New Year

Tourism in Cyprus started the new year with positive signs, as both tourist arrivals and trips by Cypriot residents abroad increased in January 2026. Tourist arrivals reached 121,625, an increase of 8.5% compared to January 2025. At the same time, trips by Cypriot residents abroad increased by 15.0%, reaching 170,045. Poland took first place among the countries of origin of tourists, with 18.6% of total arrivals, followed by Israel (18.1%), the United Kingdom (15.8%), Greece (9.6%) and Germany (6.2%). The majority of tourists (60.7%) visited Cyprus for holidays, while 22.8% came to visit friends or relatives and 16.2% for business reasons. An increase was also observed in the return of Cypriot residents from abroad, with Greece being the main country of origin (27.6%), followed by the United Kingdom (8.5%) and Poland (5.8%). Holidays were the main purpose of travel for Cypriots (82.2%), while business reasons accounted for 16.3%.