Cyprus-Forum.com

[Sotos]

22/09/2005
www.financialmirror.com

But fewer Cypriots travel abroad


Cyprus enjoyed a bumper season for tourism in August, with arrivals rising by 10.0% compared with the same month of 2004. On the basis of the results of the Passengers Survey, arrivals of tourists reached 336,587 in August 2005, compared with 305,926 in August 2004. This is the best August for the past five years and maybe more (our records go back to 2000).

Germany, Greece and Israel--the second, fourth and seventh largest markets respectively, proved to be strong markets, with arrivals from Germany up 26.2% year on year, from Greece up 32.8% and from Israel up 32.1%.

Arrivals from the main UK market, which supplies more than half of Cyprus' tourists, rose just faster than average at 10.2%.

For the period January-August 2005 arrivals of tourists totalled 1,694,477 compared to 1,573,757 in the corresponding period of 2004, recording an increase of 7.7%. Meanwhile, revenue for the January-July period was up only 1.5%.


Fewer Cypriots returning


The Helios Airways crash on August 14, which killed all the mainly Cypriot passengers and crew on board, appears to have had more of an impact on the willingness of Cypriots to travel abroad than on the willingness of foreigners to visit Cyprus.

In August 2005, 136,897 residents of Cyprus returned from a trip abroad compared to 139,492 in August 2004, recording a decrease of 1.9%.

This is a reversal of the trend for the year: for the period January-August 2005, trips of residents totalled 652,065 compared to 601,031 in the corresponding period of 2004, recording an increase of 8.5%.


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Tourism in Cyprus is doing OK despite of what some people say

[Piratis]

revenue for the January-July period was up only 1.5%.

This is the what really matters. Tourist arrivals mean nothing.

[Olga]

I have read that tourists spend now much less than before.
They don't buy souvenirs, don't stop at expensive hotels.
It seems that they prefer less quality for less cost.

[Svetlana]

The increase in tourist numbers, allied to the decline in appararent revenue reflects the shift from use of hotel accommodation to people staying in their own holiday homes or renting someone's holiday home. So, I believe there is a hidden revenue contribution - not shown through hotel revenues.

Admittedly, much of the rental will be taken in other countries, primarily the UK, but the people renting are hiring cars, buying food in the supermarkets, using electricity/phones etc - it is just that this in not reflected in the traditional methods of collecting tourist revenue statistics.

Lana

[Blonde Goddess]

(From the uk)
I stayed in a private villa " well nice with own pool etc" and totally loved my fortnight, i loved it soooo much i am back in November with my daughter for a week for that georgeous sun you have there

I would never book an "apartment" sorry but it's too lame!! u need a villa with your own pool and amenities to truly feel the life day to day in cyprus.

Try cooking a roast dinner in August
sweat man i lost a stone lol

Jeez i cant wait to go back i hate england now - especially with all this bush and blair crap i want my daughter to grow up without politics shoved in her face every 5 minutes, Terrorism is on our doorstep as much as the usa now and i know Cyprus is next door to Iraq but for some Strange reason i felt so much safer in Cyprus my whole time there - the people "Cypriots" are so god damn lovely and kind and warm and we love them so much......

I so wanna win the lottery