Are Polish Tourists Disappearing in Cyprus? Data Contradicts Headlines

Polish tourists in Cyprus were reportedly "turning away" from the island, even losing interest in coming here. This could be inferred from some of the headlines published in Polish media after July data. July itself was indeed weak – arrivals from Poland were 15.6% lower than a year earlier. However, the problem begins when a single month is considered a reflection of the entire season.

After adding up the official CYSTAT data from January to July 2026, a completely different picture emerges. There were 202,643 arrivals from Poland, compared to 201,921 during the same period in the record-breaking 2025. This is a small increase – approximately 0.36% – but certainly not a "retreat of Poles." CYPRNews calculation is based on monthly data from the Cyprus Statistical Service.

July was indeed a weak month

The Polish media are right here.

In July 2026, it was recorded 36,912 arrivals from Poland, while the year before there were 43,713 of them. The decrease was therefore exactly 15,6%.

Poland remained the third largest tourist market – after the UK and Israel – and accounted for 6.3% of all July arrivals.

It was this number that became the basis for a series of powerful publications.

WP wrote that "Poles don't want to come here anymore", RMF24 about "the biggest retreat of Poles in years", and Fly4Free suggested that Poles' favorite island might have become "oversaturated." Radio ZET, in turn, asked whether the Poles' holiday paradise was "emptying out."

The problem is not that the July data provided by these media is false.

They are correct. The problem is the conclusion drawn from a single month.

Polish tourists in Cyprus: seven months tell a different story

The beginning of the year was quite the opposite.

In January, there were arrivals from Poland 22 575, which is 43% more than the year before. Poland was then Cyprus' largest tourist market.

It arrived in February 27 003 tourists from Poland – an increase of 33.9% year on year. Poland was in second place after Great Britain.

Later, the situation began to deteriorate:

• January: +43,0%
• February: +33,9%
• March: –11,2%
• April: –12,5%
• May: +1,4%
• June: –2,0%
• July: –15,6%

In March, 17,604 people arrived from Poland, compared to 19,827 a year earlier, and in April, 25,371, compared to 29,009. May brought a slight rebound, while June was practically at the level of the previous year.

After seven months the total is:

2026: 202,643 arrivals from Poland
2025: 201 921
2024: 182 380

Compared to the record year 2025, this means an increase of approximately 0,36%, and by 2024 – as much as 11,1%.

This doesn't look like a market from which Poles are currently fleeing en masse.

The entire tourism sector is doing worse than Poland

Even more interesting is the comparison with the entire market.

From January to July 2026, Cyprus recorded a total of 2.239 million arrivals, while the year before there were 2.432 million of them. The entire market remains 8% below the record high of 2025.

Meanwhile, the number of arrivals from Poland in the same period is slightly higher than a year ago.

The government has made no secret of the fact that March and April were exceptionally difficult due to events in the Middle East and disruptions to air travel. However, since May, results have steadily improved.

In June, the total number of arrivals was only 1.7% lower than a year earlier, and in July the difference decreased to just 1.1%.

However, there is a warning signal

All this does not mean that the July data can be ignored.

The 15.6% drop is significant and could signal a shift in trend during the most important part of the season. Fly4Free itself also points to Ryanair and Wizz Air cutting some flights from Poland following weaker demand in the spring. This is a possible explanation, but based on CYSTAT data alone, it's impossible to determine the exact cause of the July decline.

Similarly, caution should be exercised when considering the narrative that Poles abandoned Cyprus due to the geopolitical situation. This may have influenced the decisions of some travelers, particularly in the spring, but statistics do not allow for the attribution of every cancellation to a single, specific reason.

Only the results for August and the following months will show whether the weak July was the beginning of a lasting trend or just a worse month after a very strong start to the year.

Today, however, the data allows us to say one thing:

Poles aren't disappearing from Cyprus. July was a weak month, but seven months later, the number of arrivals from Poland is still slightly higher than in the record-breaking year of 2025.

Source: Cyprus Statistical Service, Presidency of the Republic of Cyprus, WP, RMF24, Fly4Free, Radio ZET