Tourism in Cyprus occupies a dominant position in the country's economy,[1] [2] and has significantly impacted its 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] With a usual minimum of around 4million tourist arrivals per year,[6] it is 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 the World Tourism Organization since 1975.[10]
Varosha was once one of the most popular destinations in the world, frequented by Hollywood stars such as Marilyn Monroe, until the Turkish Invasion of Cyprus in 1974. It is now abandoned and the majority of it is guarded by armed troops.[11]
The majority of tourist arrivals are from elsewhere in Europe. Over 80% of visitors come from Northern, Western, and Eastern Europe, with British tourists remaining the most numerous. Several factors contribute to this, including widely spoken English, as well as the history of British colonialism and the presence of British military bases at Akrotiri and Dhekelia. The downturn in the British economy in the late 2000s was reflected by a drop in tourist arrivals, highlighting the over-reliance of Cyprus' tourist industry on one market.
By 2009, efforts were underway to boost arrivals from countries other than the UK.[12] 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 the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.[13] [14] [15]
The total number of tourists in Cyprus for the 2018 season was 3.93 million.[16] Most visitors arriving on a short-term basis were from the following countries:
| Rank | Country | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | 1,157,978 | 1,253,839 | 1,327,805 | |
| 2 | 781,634 | 824,494 | 783,631 | ||
| 3 |  | 148,739 | 261,966 | 232,561 | |
| 4 |  | 124,030 | 188,826 | 189,200 | |
| 5 |  | 160,254 | 169,712 | 186,370 | |
| 6 |  | 115,019 | 136,725 | 153,769 | |
| 7 |  | 42,683 | 56,665 | 89,508 | |
| 8 |  (including  ) | 46,602 | 57,540 | 74,216 | |
| 9 |  | 62,292 | 48,190 | 69,619 | |
| 10 |  | 28,741 | 49,304 | 66,969 |
In 2011, according to the World Economic Forum's Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report, Cyprus' tourism industry was 29th in the world in terms of overall competitiveness but managed to secure first place for tourism infrastructure.[17] With some of the most popular and cleanest beaches in Europe,[18] [19] much of the island relies on the "sun, sea, and sand" mantra to attract tourists.[20] This is reflected in the seasonal distribution of tourist arrivals, with a massive increase during the summer months.[21] Resorts in the island's east and southeast, such as Ayia Napa and Protaras, rely almost solely on tourism and attract the overwhelming majority of their tourists from March to November; tourist destinations in the west and southwest, such as Limassol and Paphos, are supported by other industries and thus remain open to tourism even during the much colder winter months.
A report by the World Travel and Tourism Council revealed that the total investment in Cyprus' tourism industry throughout 2015 was €273.7 million, representing 14% of overall investment in the island. It projected a 5.3% rise in 2016 and a subsequent 2.9% rise each year over the next decade to €384.6 million in 2026.[22]
According to a 2020 report by KPMG, Cyprus has the densest concentration of Blue Flag beaches (most of which are in the east) in the world, the most Blue Flag beaches per coastline in the world, and the most Blue Flags per capita in the world.[23]
English is the island's primary bridge language, partially due to it being under British control until 1960 but primarily because it relies heavily on tourism, with British tourists by far comprising the biggest group of yearly visitors.[24] Russian was also widely spoken in the tourist industry until the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine caused a drastic decrease in the number of Russian tourists, who had previously been the island's second largest group of yearly visitors.[25] Greek and Turkish remain the main languages spoken by the native Greek-Cypriot and Turkish-Cypriot communities.[26]
A 2012 Eurostat report revealed that Cyprus is the second most educated country in Europe after Ireland, with 49.9% of its residents holding university degrees.[27] In 2013, Cyprus came in fourth place on the list of EU countries that had invested the most public funds in education, as measured by the share of GDP (6.5% compared to a 5.0% EU average).[28]
The Cyprus Tourism Organisation, usually abbreviated to CTO, and known as KOT in Greek, was a semi-governmental organisation charged with overseeing the industry practices and promoting the island as a tourism destination abroad. In 2007 the CTO spent a reported €20 million on promotion.[29] In 2019 the CTO was replaced by a government ministry, the Deputy Ministry of Tourism, which took over the assets and responsibilities of the CTO.[30]