Over 10,000 Russian tour operators’ customers might go to Cyprus by the end of this year, according to estimations made by Attica Holidays. Approximately 8,500 Russian tour operators are anticipated to visit Cyprus, with 70 percent of those travelers coming from Russian Express. This operator has bought tickets on connecting Jazeera Airways flights from Moscow to Larnaca via Kuwait.

The remaining Russian visitors to Cyprus are expected to include residents and property owners visiting the island, as well as independent tourists.

Cyprus is attempting to draw in new markets in reaction to a drop in organized Russian tourism. The island has seen a rise in visitors from the following nations this year:

Poland

Czech Republic

Armenia

Israel

Norway

Sweden

Denmark

Attica Vacations observes that despite these new markets, no other market has yet to fully replace the active spending habits of Russian tourists, particularly in towns, wineries, and monasteries. There has also been a notable decline in the number of visitors to Cyprus’ Orthodox monasteries as a result of the Russian tourists’ departure.

During a discussion between top hotel managers in Cyprus and representatives of the Russian media, local companies expressed a strong desire to draw in more Russian tourists given the current circumstances.

The Statistical Office reports that in 2023, about 62,000 Russians traveled to Cyprus. 61,796 Russian visitors traveled to Cyprus in the first eleven months of this year, in spite of EU sanctions imposed in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Of the 3.9 million organized foreign tourists who visited Cyprus prior to COVID-19, Attica Holidays, which still serves Russian tour operator clients in Cyprus, disclosed that roughly 200,000 were their clients. Still, the proportion of Russian visitors has dropped dramatically. A total of 782,000 Russian visitors visited Cyprus in 2019, making up one-fifth of all foreign visitors to the island.