Cyprus Tourism Surges in 2025: December Arrivals Up 18%

Cyprus is ending 2025 with clear momentum in its tourism sector, according to fresh figures from the Cyprus Statistical Service that show a sharp rise in December arrivals and strong performance across the full year. Tourist arrivals reached 156,959 in December 2025 compared with 133,063 in December 2024, up 18.0% y/y. That matters for the late-year surge because it often makes a difference between a seasonal tourism economy and one that can keep jobs, hotels, and air connectivity going through the year. For the period January to December 2025, total tourist arrivals increased to 4,534,073, from 4,040,200 in 2024, an increase of 12.2% over this period. Such a pace of growth signals not only recovery but expanding demand, and it reinforces Cyprus’s position as a Mediterranean destination that can pull visitors beyond peak summer. Israel Powers Winter Demand While the United Kingdom Remains a Core Market Cystat data shows Israel as the largest source market in December 2025, contributing 30,020 arrivals, or 19.1% of the total. Arrivals from Israel rose 29.6% compared with December 2024, underlining how important this market has become for winter tourism growth. Strong winter demand helps hotels keep staff employed longer, supports restaurants and tour operators in the off-season, and encourages airlines to maintain capacity when many beach destinations typically slow down. The United Kingdom followed closely with 29,826 arrivals, accounting for 19.0% of total arrivals. While UK arrivals dipped 5.3% year on year for December, the UK still remains one of Cyprus’ most important long-term tourism pillars. From a tourism growth perspective, Cyprus is showing something valuable: it can maintain scale in a mature market while accelerating growth from newer and faster-growing markets. Poland and Germany Signal Broad-Based Tourism Growth Across Europe A standout feature of Cyprus tourism growth is the rising weight of Central and Eastern Europe. Poland ranked third in December with 17,779 arrivals, making up 11.3% of the total and delivering a powerful 42.5% annual increase. Germany placed fourth with 11,569 arrivals and a 53.5% rise, adding to the sense that Cyprus is widening its European footprint in a meaningful way. This kind of diversified growth is critical for resilience. When arrivals are expanding across multiple countries, Cyprus is less exposed to demand swings caused by currency shifts, changing travel trends, or market-specific disruptions. It also strengthens the case for airlines to add routes, extend seasonal schedules, and invest in longer-term connectivity—all of which feed back into sustained tourism growth. Mixed Performance from Greece and the Nordics as Smaller Markets Shift Greece contributed 11,413 arrivals in December, representing 7.3% of the total, though arrivals declined 4.6% compared with December 2024. Even with that dip, Greece remains important for short-haul travel patterns and regional connectivity. Other markets delivered strong increases. France rose 55.6% to 2,046 arrivals, Romania grew 61.6% to 4,183, and Austria increased 37.8% to 2,353. Hungary posted the highest growth rate, jumping 81.8% to 969 arrivals. In contrast, arrivals from Norway fell 33.2% to 385, and Denmark slipped 2.8% to 663. For tourism growth, these variations tell an important story: Cyprus is not growing in a single direction. It is reshaping its demand mix, gaining strength in markets showing rapid expansion while managing softer performance in a few smaller ones. Holiday Travel Share Rises, Strengthening the Value of Tourism Growth The purpose-of-travel breakdown offers a deeper sign of tourism growth quality, not just volume. In December 2025, 56.4% of tourists visited Cyprus for holidays, up from 49.6% in December 2024. This shift suggests stronger leisure demand, which typically supports higher spending across hotels, dining, excursions, retail, and experiences. Meanwhile, visits to friends and relatives accounted for 32.0%, down from 37.5% a year earlier, while business travel represented 11.3%, compared with 12.7% in December 2024. Even with slightly lower business share, the rising holiday proportion can improve tourism revenue impact, especially during winter months when leisure travelers often book packaged stays and paid activities. Outbound Travel Also Rises, Supporting Connectivity That Feeds Tourism Growth Cyprus also recorded a notable rise in outbound travel by residents, which often reflects stronger flight networks and higher overall mobility through airports. A total of 193,007 Cyprus residents returned from trips abroad in December 2025, up from 168,022 in December 2024, an increase of 14.9%. The main country of return was Greece, accounting for 54,759 returns or 28.4%, followed by the United Kingdom with 21,224 returns (11.0%) and Poland with 12,554 returns (6.5%). For returning residents, holidays dominated at 69.3%, followed by studies (15.0%) and business travel (14.9%). Strong outbound movement supports airline route sustainability, which can also strengthen inbound tourism growth by keeping networks active year-round. Tourism Growth Impact and What It Could Mean for 2026 Closing out 2025 strongly in Cyprus indicates that this tourism industry is not only growing, but its expansion is actually adding favorable elements to its structure. Notably, while Israel is taking an increasingly prominent position in peak season, and there is outstanding expansion from Poland and Germany, this indicates that this destination is establishing its foundations for less vulnerable support. Clearly, if this holds true, there will be major effects related to tourism, including greater occupancies, better employments, greater airline flights, and greater investments by tourism to create year-long products. At the same time, this trend towards a greater proportion of holiday trips also enhances economic benefits from tourist growth as holiday travelers are generally associated with spending patterns that cut across more service sectors. In the longer term, a positive trend for various markets can support Cyprus’ aspirations with respect to extending seasons and enhancing diversification within the Mediterranean tourist sector.