Cyprus recorded the largest decline in overnight stays among EU countries during the first half of 2026, with a 7.7% drop compared with the same period in 2025, according to data published by Eurostat on Tuesday.
At the same time, Cyprus recorded one of the highest shares of overnight stays by foreign visitors in the EU. Non-residents accounted for 92.6% of all overnight stays in tourist accommodation in Cyprus during the first six months of the year, the second-highest rate in the EU after Malta.
Cyprus sees 7.7% decline
According to Eurostat, nine EU countries recorded year-on-year declines in overnight stays, with the largest decreases recorded in Cyprus, at 7.7%, and Romania, at 6.7%.
The largest increases were recorded in Ireland, at 14.6%, followed by Malta at 9.9% and Slovakia at 5.9%.
Overnight stays rise 1.7% across EU
Overall, 1.321 billion overnight stays were recorded in tourist accommodation across the EU during the first half of 2026, compared with 1.299 billion during the corresponding period of 2025.
This represented a 1.7% year-on-year increase.
Foreign visitors, defined as non-residents of the country where the overnight stay took place, accounted for 48.9% of all overnight stays in the EU during the first half of 2026.
However, Eurostat data showed significant differences between member states in their reliance on international visitors.
Malta recorded the highest share of overnight stays by non-residents, at 95.2%, followed by Cyprus at 92.6% and Luxembourg at 87.7%.
By contrast, foreign visitors accounted for less than a quarter of overnight stays in Germany, at 18.5%, Poland, at 19.8%, and Romania, at 23%.
Foreign visitors drive EU growth
The data also showed that overnight stays by foreign visitors increased at a faster rate than those by domestic visitors during the first half of the year.
Overnight stays by non-residents increased by 2.5% compared with the first half of 2025, while overnight stays by residents rose by 0.9%.
For tourism, the figures highlight the country’s particularly high reliance on international visitors, with more than nine in every 10 overnight stays recorded during the period involving non-residents.
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