Tourist arrivals in Cyprus totalled 581,880 in August 2026, marking a 3.3% decline compared to 602,026 arrivals in August 2025. For the first eight months of 2026, tourist numbers reached 2,820,649, down 7.0% from 3,034,155 recorded during the same period in 2025.
Top Source Countries and Travel Purposes in August 2026
The United Kingdom accounted for the largest share of tourists in August 2026, representing 30.5% of arrivals with 177,603 visitors. Israel followed with 23.3% (135,628), Poland contributed 6.3% (36,622), Germany 4.4% (25,823), and Sweden 3.0% (17,441).
Regarding travel purposes, 84.5% of tourists in August 2026 came for holidays, 13.0% to visit friends or relatives, and 2.4% for business.
In August 2025, holiday travelers comprised 86.5%, visitors to friends or relatives 11.4%, and business travelers 2.1%.
Resident Returns from Abroad and Travel Purposes
In August 2026, 239,337 Cypriot residents returned from international trips, a 0.3% increase from 238,740 in August 2025. Greece was the main country of return with 36.6% (87,684), followed by the United Kingdom at 6.9% (16,448), Italy at 4.6% (11,054), Poland at 4.3% (10,408), and Russia at 4.2% (10,021).
Among returning residents, 93.1% traveled abroad for holidays, 5.9% for business, 0.8% for studies, and 0.2% for other reasons in August 2026.
Data Sources and Definitions
These statistics derive from passenger surveys conducted at Larnaka and Pafos airports,
supplemented by administrative data from port arrivals. The weighting of data incorporates information provided by the Civil Aviation Department and the Analysis and Statistics Office of the Cyprus Police.
Tourists are defined as visitors staying at least one night in Cyprus. Residents include individuals who have resided or intend to reside in Cyprus for a minimum of 12 months prior to travel. Figures cover all travel through government-controlled entry points and exclude unauthorized crossings in occupied areas.
