A sharp increase in tourism from Israel provided a significant boost to Cyprus’ visitor arrivals in June, helping offset declines from the island’s traditional source markets. However, industry representatives say the headline figures require closer analysis, as shorter stays by Israeli visitors mean the impact on overnight tourism remains more limited.
According to figures released by the Statistical Service of Cyprus, arrivals from Israel reached 80,343 in June, up from 30,246 in the same month of 2025, representing an increase of 165.6%. At the same time, total tourist arrivals fell by 1.7%, while arrivals for the first half of the year were down 10.1%.
High percentage reflects a weak comparison base
Speaking to Economy Today, Association of Cyprus Travel and Tourist Agents (ACTA) President Haris Papacharalambous said the impressive percentage increase should not be viewed in isolation.
He explained that the rise is largely due to the exceptionally weak performance of the Israeli market in June last year.
“Last June recorded only around 30,000 arrivals. That creates a significant distortion when looking only at percentage changes,” he said.
Papacharalambous noted that Israeli arrivals stood at approximately 52,000 in June 2024, meaning the increase remains substantial when compared with two years ago, but is far less dramatic than the reported 165.6%.
He added that regional developments over the past two to three years have heavily influenced travel from Israel, making year-on-year comparisons more complex than under normal tourism conditions.
Israeli visitors offset losses elsewhere
According to ACTA, the increase in Israeli arrivals has helped compensate for weaker performance in Cyprus’ key European markets.
Papacharalambous said most traditional source markets, including the United Kingdom, the island’s largest tourism market, have recorded declines of between 10% and 12%.
“The large number of Israeli visitors effectively fills that gap in terms of arrivals,” he said.
Overnight stays remain a challenge
Despite the strong arrival figures, Papacharalambous stressed that overnight stays present a different picture.
Israeli visitors typically spend fewer nights in Cyprus than tourists from many European countries, meaning the rise in arrivals does not translate into an equivalent increase in accommodation demand.
As a result, he expects the decline in overnight stays to be greater than the fall in visitor arrivals, limiting the overall economic benefit for the tourism sector.
Cautious optimism for the season
Assessing the current tourism season, Papacharalambous said expectations should be viewed in the context of the difficult conditions that have developed since March.
While the results are not ideal, he said they are broadly in line with industry expectations under the circumstances.
He added that the Israeli market has performed better than anticipated and has helped reduce overall losses, although it cannot fully compensate for weaker demand from Cyprus’ traditional European markets.
Famagusta under greater pressure
Papacharalambous also noted regional differences across the island.
He said the free Famagusta district is experiencing a sharper decline than Paphos, a trend also reflected in airport traffic figures. Paphos Airport has recorded modest growth, while the overall decline in passenger numbers has largely been driven by Larnaca Airport.
Also read: EU aviation fuel concerns: How Cyprus could be affected
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