According to the latest Eurostat data, Cyprus recorded 6.1 million overnight stays booked through popular digital platforms such as Airbnb, Booking, and Expedia in 2024.
This figure is 767,000 higher than in 2023 and far surpasses pre-pandemic numbers. For comparison, the number of nights spent in various tourist accommodations on the island reached 4.2 million in 2019.
August was the busiest month for tourism, with 939,859 overnight stays, while January was the quietest month, with only 200,000.
Eurostat has also noted an increase in tourist activity across Europe. In the first quarter of 2025, EU countries registered 129.6 million overnight stays in short-term rental accommodations, which is 4.8% more than in the same period of 2024 and 34.5% more than at the beginning of 2023.
Notable growth was particularly evident in January (+16.3%) and February (+11.6%) of 2025. March was the only month to show a decline, at 8.6%. This can be explained by Easter falling in April in 2025, whereas in 2024, it was celebrated in March. Despite this, the high demand during the first two months offset the seasonal fluctuation.
According to regional statistics for the fourth quarter of 2024, the most popular tourist destinations were:
- Andalusia (Spain)—8.7 million overnight stays;
- The Canary Islands (Spain) had 7.6 million overnight stays.
- Île-de-France (France, including Paris): 7.2 million.
The top 20 destinations were:
- 5 regions in Spain;
- 5 in Italy;
- 4 in France;
- 2 in Portugal;
- and 1 each in Hungary, Poland, Greece, and Austria.
These figures demonstrate sustained interest in short-term rentals outside the summer season and confirm the growing role of digital platforms in the tourism sector.
Although Cyprus remains a traditional summer destination, the growth in overnight stays and interest from international travelers highlights the need to adapt tourism policy to these new realities. With the rapid growth of digital tourism, strategic planning and flow management are critical, especially in regions under high infrastructure and ecosystem pressure.