Cyprus relies on imported tourism
Cyprus was last year one of three European Union countries in which foreign tourists accounted for more than 90% of the overnight stays spent at holiday accommodation, according to UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) data shared by Eurostat on the occasion of World Tourism Day on Wednesday.
Cyprus’ percentage stood at 91%, similar to that of Malta (92%) and Croatia (91%). In Luxembourg and Greece, the foreign market accounted for 86% and 84% of such overnight stays respectively.
EU domestic travelers (traveling within their own country of residence) accounted for 57% of all nights spent in EU tourism accommodation in 2022. Eurostat points out that while international tourism is a positive element for every country, high foreign dependency can also make a destination more vulnerable in case of an external shock affecting international mobility.
In 2022, the EU received 45.8% of all international tourism arrivals in the world, despite representing just 3% of the world’s land area and 5.6% of the world’s population.
Greece was one of the top 10 destination countries worldwide in 2022, which also included another five EU members (France, Spain, Italy, Germany and Austria).
