Cyprus Moves On Without Russian Tourists
Photo Credit: Nissi beach in Ayia Napa, Cyprus Unsplash / Datingjungle
Skift Take
Seems like the loss of the Russian tourist segment made Cyrpus' transition to a more sustainable approach to tourism easier.
Cyprus has been diversifying its visitor base and marketing approach as it fills the huge void left by the loss of Russians and Ukrainian tourists.
The island was hit by a double whammy — the pandemic and the loss of Russian and Ukrainian tourists. Like other European Union countries, Cyprus banned Russian flights to the island in response to the Ukraine War.
Russia has historically been a top market for Cyprus. Around 22 percent of the country’s tourist arrivals were from the Russian and Ukrainian market, and now it’s zero, according to Cyprus Deputy Tourism Minister Savvas Perdios. It was estimated to cost the country 600 million euros ($655 million today) in January 2022. Those tourists are now going to Turkey, Cyprus' competitor in the region. In 2019, Cyprus had 3.9 million tourists, a record for the country.
