Tourism in Cyprus is a cornerstone ofthe country's economy,^[1][2] and has significantly impactedits culture and multicultural development throughout the years.^[3][4] In 2006, the tourism industry made up 10.7% of the country's GDP and the total employment in the tourism industry was estimated at 113,000 jobs.^[5] Cyprus welcomes at least around 4million tourists on average each year,^[6]making it the 40th most popular destination in the world^[7][8] and the 6th most popular per capita of local population.^[9] Cyprus has been a full member of theWorld Tourism Organization since 1975.^[10]

Varosha was once one of the most popular destinations in the world, once frequented by Hollywood stars, such asElizabeth Taylor, until theTurkish Invasion of Cyprus in 1974. It is now abandoned and the majority of it is guarded by armed troops.^[11]

Yearly tourist arrivals in millions^[12][13]

Cyprus's popularity, with around 4million tourists arrivals per year, is attributed to a number of factors. These include the fact that English is widely spoken, itshistory of British colonialism, and the presence of British military bases atAkrotiri and Dhekelia. The downturn in the British economyin the late 2000s was reflected in a decrease in British tourist arrivals, highlighting the Cyprus tourist industry's over-reliance on a single market.

By 2009, efforts were underway to stimulate tourism from countries other than the UK.^[14] In line with geopolitical developments, Russian tourists became the second largest group in terms of arrivals; this began in the late 2000s and rapidly increased until the2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.^[15][16][17]

The total number of tourists in Cyprus for the 2018 season was 3.93 million.^[18] Most visitors arriving on a short-term basis were from the following countries:

Rank	Country	2016	2017	2018
1	United Kingdom	1,157,978	1,253,839	1,327,805
2	Russia	781,634	824,494	783,631
3	Israel	148,739	261,966	232,561
4	Germany	124,030	188,826	189,200
5	Greece	160,254	169,712	186,370
6	Sweden	115,019	136,725	153,769
7	Poland	42,683	56,665	89,508
8	Switzerland (including Liechtenstein)	46,602	57,540	74,216
9	Ukraine	62,292	48,190	69,619
10	Romania	28,741	49,304	66,969

Rank	Country	2024[19]
1	United Kingdom	1,373,634
2	Israel	425,606
3	Poland	337,139
4	Germany	228,355
5	Greece	183,816
6	Sweden	148,995
7	Romania	95,314
8	France	92,818
9	Austria	75,261
10	Switzerland (including Liechtenstein)	73,946

In 2011, according to theWorld Economic Forum'sTravel and Tourism Competitiveness Report, Cyprus' tourism industry ranked 29th in the world, in terms of overall competitiveness, but secured first place for tourism infrastructure.^[20] With some of the most popular and cleanest beaches in Europe,^[21][22] much of the island relies on the "sun, sea, and sand" mantra to attract tourists.^[23] This is reflected in the seasonal distribution of tourist arrivals, with a particularly significant increase during the summer months.^[24] Resorts in the island's east and southeast, such asAyia Napa andProtaras, depend almost entirely on tourism and receive the vast majority of their visitors from March to November; tourist destinations in the west and southwest, such asLimassol andPaphos, benefit from more diversified economies, allowing them to sustain tourism even during the much colder winter months.^{[citation needed]}

AWorld Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), noted that total investment in Cyprus' tourism industry in 2015 was €273.7 million - 14% of the island's overall investment - with projected increases of 5.3% in 2016 and 2.9% annually, over the following decade, reaching €384.6 million in 2026.^[25] However, the WTTC’s latest 2023 Economic Impact Research for Cyprus reports that capital investment in travel and tourism reached approximately €3.20 billion in 2022 (about 12.6 % of total investment), with forecasts extending through 2033.^[26]

According to a 2020 report byKPMG, Cyprus boasts the highest concentration ofBlue Flag beaches in the world - most of which are located in the east - ranking first globally in Blue Flag beaches per kilometre ofcoastline and per capita.^[27]

English serves as the island's primarybridge language, not only due to Cyprus's history as aBritish colony until 1960 but also because of its strong reliance on tourism, with British visitors consistently making up the largest share of annual arrivals.^[28] Russian was also widely used in the tourist sector until the2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine led to a sharp decline in Russian tourist, then the island's second largest group of yearly visitors.^[29] Greek and Turkish remain the main languages spoken by the native Greek-Cypriot and Turkish-Cypriot communities.^[30]

A 2012Eurostat report revealed that Cyprus is the second most educated country in Europe after Ireland, with 49.9% of its residents holding university degrees.^[31] In 2013, Cyprus ranked fourth among EU countries in public spending on education, allocating 6.5% of its GDP, well above the EU average of 5%.^[32]

The Cyprus Tourism Organisation (CTO), known as KOT in Greek, functioned as a semi-governmental authority, tasked with overseeing tourism standards and marketing the island internationally. In 2007, the CTO reportedly spent €20 million on international promotional efforts.^[33] In 2019, the CTO was replaced by the newly established Deputy Ministry of Tourism, a government body that inherited the CTO's assets and functions.^[34]

Wikivoyage has a travel guide forCyprus.

• Tourism in Cyprus
• Tourism in Europe by country
• Economy of Cyprus

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