Record tourist arrivals in July

By Lizzy Ioannidou

Record-breaking numbers of incoming tourists for the month of July were recorded this year, with the United Kingdom remaining steadily in the lead as the main source of visitors.

July 2018 witnessed a 1.6 per cent increase in the number of incoming tourists, amounting to 539,626 compared with 531,030 July 2017, according to Cystat data released on Friday.

Though there was a recorded decrease of 1.1 per cent, the United Kingdom continues to be the main source of tourists for Cyprus account ting for 32.4 per cent of arrivals in July, followed by Russia (22.5 per cent), Israel (6.1 per cent) and Sweden (4.8 per cent).

This year’s number, which totals over half a million incoming tourists, is the highest ever recorded for the month of July, despite a 5.9 per cent reduction from Russia, a 22.2 per cent decrease from Israel and a 14.5 per cent decrease from Germany.

Numbers of incoming visitors have risen to unprecedented heights in general, since the period January-July 2018 recorded a 9.6 per cent increase compared to the previous year.

The total tourist arrivals during the first seven months of this year amounted to 2,184,775 compared with 1,994,236 in the corresponding period of 2017.

At the same time, last month saw a 10 per cent increase in the numbers of Cyprus residents travelling overseas, with a total of 164,376 compared to 149,716 in July 2017.

Specifically, increases were recorded in Cyprus residents returning from the countries of Greece (by 9.7 per cent), Russia (by 17.4 per cent), France (by 37.3 per cent) and Bulgaria (by 63.8 per cent).

Decreases in numbers of Cyprus residents arriving on the island were recorded from the United Kingdom (by 6.4 per cent), Germany (by 33.1 per cent) and Romania (by 12.1 per cent).

 

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.