Nicosia, Cyprus. Cyprus’ tourism sector recorded a milestone year in 2025, with its share of GDP rising to 14% and tourist arrivals surpassing 4.5 million for the first time, Deputy Minister Kostas Koumis said. Separately, Finance Minister Makis Keravnos chaired a cohesion policy meeting in Brussels under the Cyprus EU Presidency.
Tourism performance and revenue growth
Presenting the Deputy Ministry’s annual report on Thursday, Koumis said the industry had again shown resilience despite “continuous challenges and an ever-changing international environment,” reinforcing its role as a key driver of economic growth.
Tourist arrivals rose 12.2% year-on-year to above 4.5 million, representing a 41.6% increase over three years.
Tourism revenues increased 15.3% year-on-year in the January–November period and were up 51.1% over three years. Koumis said total revenues for 2023–2025 reached €9.9 billion, describing the period as a historic cycle for the sector.
Cohesion policy under the Cyprus EU Presidency
On Thursday, Keravnos chaired the first General Affairs Council on Cohesion Policy under the Cyprus EU Presidency, describing the meeting as particularly significant for Cyprus’ six-month term leading the Council.
Speaking upon his arrival in Brussels, Keravnos said cohesion policy plays a central role in strengthening competitiveness and economic resilience across the European Union.
“It is a great pleasure for me to chair today’s meeting on Cohesion Policy, which is the first since Cyprus took over the Presidency,” he said.
“The motto of the Cyprus Presidency is an autonomous Union, open to the world,” he added.
He also said that “Strategic autonomy goes through competitiveness and economic resilience, while cohesion policy is directly linked to strengthening the competitiveness and resilience of the economy”.
What do you consider the most important factor behind Cyprus’ record tourism results in 2025?