Nicosia, Cyprus. The Cyprus Statistical Service (Cystat) reported a sharp decline in tourist arrivals in April 2026, citing the deepening impact of the war in Iran on the island’s tourism sector.
April and January–April arrival figures
Cystat said tourist arrivals fell to 303,031 in April 2026 from 418,730 in April 2025, a year-on-year drop of 27.6 per cent.
For the January to April 2026 period, arrivals totalled 710,370, down from 865,326 in the corresponding period last year, representing a decline of 17.9 per cent.
Downward trend since March
The April figures reinforced a downward trend that began in March, shortly after the escalation of geopolitical tensions at the end of February.
In March, arrivals fell by 30.7 per cent to 139,198 compared with 200,736 a year earlier.
The decline followed a strong start in February, when tourism revenue rose by 7 per cent year-on-year, before the conflict began to weigh on visitor flows.
Largest source markets in April
The United Kingdom remained the largest source market in April, accounting for 39.2 per cent of total arrivals, or 118,742 visitors.
Poland recorded 25,371 arrivals, representing 8.4 per cent, while Germany accounted for 24,178 arrivals or 8.0 per cent.
Israel contributed 15,997 visitors or 5.3 per cent, and Greece recorded 14,255 arrivals, representing 4.7 per cent.
Travel purpose
Holidays remained the primary reason for visiting Cyprus, accounting for 73.0 per cent of arrivals in April.
How do you expect the drop in arrivals to affect Cyprus’s tourism sector in the coming months?
