Tourism ties strengthen as Israel becomes Cyprus’ second-largest market

Cyprus and Israel reaffirmed close tourism cooperation during meetings held in Israel by Deputy Minister of Tourism Kostas Koumis with Tourism Minister Haim Katz, on the sidelines of the International Tourism Fair IMTM.

According to an official announcement, Koumis stated that the goal now is to increase arrivals during the winter season, but also to strengthen tourist flows in relation to special forms of tourism.

During the visit, Koumis also held contacts with strategic partners in a market that has emerged in recent years as one of the most important for Cypriot tourism.

In 2025, arrivals from Israel exceeded half a million visitors for the first time, reaching 588,000 and placing the country second only to the United Kingdom among Cyprus’ source markets.

This represents an increase of 38.4 per cent compared with 2024 and 112.3 per cent over the 2022 – 2025 period.

Israel’s contribution was also reflected in spending. Average expenditure per visitor reached €682 during the January – November 2025 period, up 2.9 per cent year-on-year and 13.4 per cent over three years.

“The Israeli market remains one of the most important tourism markets in our country. It is a market that has recorded rapid growth in recent years, essentially doubling arrivals in a six-year period,” Koumis said.

At the same time, discussions with his Israeli counterpart covered a range of international tourism issues, as the two sides examined ways to further deepen cooperation.

“The ultimate goal now is to increase arrivals during the winter period, but also to strengthen tourist flows in relation to special forms of tourism,” Koumis concluded.

As part of the visit, the deputy minister also met the Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos and gave interviews to Israeli media outlets.