Nicosia, Cyprus. Cyprus remained one of the European Union’s most foreign-dependent tourism markets in the first quarter of 2026, with overseas visitors accounting for 85.6 per cent of all tourist overnight stays, Eurostat data showed on Tuesday.
Cyprus among EU leaders in foreign visitor share
The figure placed Cyprus second in the bloc, behind Malta, where foreign visitors made up 93.3 per cent of overnight stays. Luxembourg followed in third place at 85.1 per cent.
Across the EU, foreign visitors accounted for about 46.6 per cent of all overnight stays in tourist accommodation during the first three months of the year.
Domestic tourism stronger in larger markets
By comparison, domestic tourism continued to dominate in several larger EU markets. Germany recorded the lowest share of foreign visitor overnight stays, at 19.9 per cent, followed by Poland with 20.2 per cent and Romania with 22.4 per cent.
The figures point to the extent to which Cyprus’ tourism industry continues to depend on international demand, particularly during the quieter winter period, when domestic travel makes up a smaller share of activity than in many other member states.
Monthly overnight stays
In monthly terms, Cyprus recorded 368,639 overnight stays in January, before rising to 476,000 in February and 503,579 in March.
These stays covered hotels, holiday homes and other short-stay accommodation.
Compared with the same months of 2025, overnight stays in Cyprus increased by 14.43 per cent in January and by 32.17 per cent in February. However, March moved in the opposite direction, falling by 36.81 per cent year-on-year and weighing on the overall quarterly picture.
EU accommodation stays rise
At EU level, tourist accommodation recorded 471.1 million overnight stays in the first quarter of 2026, up 3.4 per cent from the same period last year.