INDIVIDUAL spending by tourists dropped by an average of five per cent between 2003 and 2004, with total revenue slipping 3.1 per cent, or £32 million, in the same period.
Spending per holidaymaker has been on a steady decline over the past few years as tourists baulk at increasing costs on the island. The advent of all-inclusive holidays, where tourists rarely leave their hotels is also a factor.
According to new figures from the Cyprus Tourism Organisation, the only tourists whose spending increased between 2003 and 2004 were the Irish, consistently among the biggest spenders in recent years, and the Norwegians.
Spending by Irish tourists rose 2.7 per cent to £493 per person during their 2004 holidays. Norwegians upped their spending 5.2 per cent to £439 per head.
Israelisr remained the lowest spending group of tourists to Cyprus, disbursing only £224 per person, a 17 per cent drop on the previous year.
Spending by Russian tourists also fell. In 2003, Russians were spending an average of £550 each during their holidays, but last year they spent only £473, a drop of 14 per cent.
Americans also appear to be spending less, although their numbers at around 18,000 are not large enough to make an impact. In 2003 they were spending £483 per head in Cyprus, but last year this dropped 21 per cent to £379 per head.
Other noticeable drops in spending were noted among Greeks, down 17 per cent from £298 each in 2003 to £245 in 2004, a loss or around £7 million.
French and Swiss tourists are spending around ten per cent less at £399 and £441 respectively. Spending by the island’s two main markets, Britain, which sent 1.3 million tourists here last year, and Germany (161,000), indicate a reduction in spending of 2.5 per cent and 2.9 per cent respectively.
Two years ago, Britons were spending £454 per head compared to £443 last year, which translates into a £14 million loss to the economy.
Losses from the Germans, who were spending £404 in 2003 compared to £392 in 2004, totaled nearly £2 million.
Spending was also down among the Dutch, the Italians, Belgians, the Danes and the Finns.
??
??
??
??
