Russian surge boosts Cyprus tourism

Nicosia - A surge of Russian tourists in June sparked an 11% increase in holiday arrivals to Cyprus compared with the same month last year, official data showed on Friday.

It was the second largest percentage rise since 2011.

In June, arrivals spiked 11% to 342 221 from 308 219 in 2013, the figures show.

There was a significant 22.1% jump in holidaymakers from Russia, despite the crisis in east Ukraine, to 117 960 from 96 618 in June 2013.

There was also a 0.6% increase from the island's number one market Britain, reaching 111 792 from 111 156, and an 85.4% surge in Israelis to 7 296.

The increases offset a 14.1% dip in German tourists and a 10.4% slide in Swedish visitors.

A bumper June also helped improve figures for the first six months of the year.

Arrivals totalled 979 838 compared with 924 135 in the first half of 2013, an increase of 6%.

After six months, Britain remained in top spot with 351 017 visitors, followed by Russia (255 874), Greece (47 757) and Sweden (42 229).

Last year saw a 2.4% dip in tourist arrivals - 2.40 million compared with 2.46 million in 2012.

Tourism officials are confident that 2014 will be better than last year, as more direct markets to Cyprus open up.

Improved arrival figures and better revenue are fanning hopes that tourism can help to rescue the economy.

Following a €10bn rescue package to save a crumbling economy and insolvent banks in March 2013, Cyprus is expected to return to growth next year after two years of deep recession.

International lenders are on the island for a fifth inspection before approving the next tranche of bailout cash.

Although tourist arrivals were down last year, the €2.08bn revenue generated was the best for a decade.

The record high was 2.69 million tourists in 2001 spending a record equivalent of €2.17bn.

Income from tourism accounts for around 12% of Cyprus's GDP.