The Department of Statistics and Research announces that in January 1999 arrivals of travellers, including excursionists, reached 97.214 recording a slight increase of 0,1% compared to the corresponding month last year, while departures reached 115.132 recording a small decrease of 0,2% compared to January 1998.

The majority of travellers, excluding excursionists, arrived in January 1999 on flights or ships which had as country of origin European countries, 82,9% and European Union countries in particular, 68,9%. Looking at individual countries, the United Kingdom is as always leading the list with 36,5% of travellers arrivals followed by Greece with 18,5%, Israel with 6,3%, Germany with 5,7%, Russia with 4,5%, Egypt with 3,0%, Netherlands with 2,4% and Lebanon with 2,4%.

The number of excursionists (transit at ports and cruise-ship visitors) in January 1999 reached 2.694 compared to 4.694 in January 1998.

Arrivals of tourists reached 57.740 in January 1999 compared to 54.291 in the corresponding month last year, recording an increase of 6,4%.

The mean age of tourists arriving in Cyprus in January 1999 was 46,1 years. Of these 49,8% were males and 50,2% were females. Analysis by country of usual residence shows that 74,7% were residents of the European Union. The main countries are in order of importance the United Kingdom with 49,1%, Germany with 9,1%, Russia with 5,9%, Greece with 5,9%, and Israel with 2,5%.

During January 1999 the majority of tourists 84,3% stated that they intended to stay in hotels or similar establishments, 12,5% with relatives and friends and 3,2% elsewhere.

For those tourists stating duration of stay less than one month, the mean intended duration of stay was 9,7 nights; for those stating less than one year the mean intended duration of stay was 15,1 nights. The mean intended duration of stay for January 1998 was 9,1 and 13,2 nights respectively. The median intended duration of stay was 7,0 nights for January 1999 the same as for January 1998.

In January 1999, 34.106 residents of Cyprus returned from a trip abroad compared to 34.492 in the corresponding month last year. A percentage of 30,3% of residents of Cyprus travelling abroad in January 1999 had visited Greece, 24,5% the United Kingdom, 3,6% Russia, 3,4% Israel, 3,0% Lebanon and 3,0% the United States of America. A percentage of 70,7% stated that holidays was the main reason for travelling and 22,2% business. Their mean age was 38,1 years. The majority 50,0% were in the group of 25-44 years, 27,9% in the group of 45-64 years and 13,0% in group of 15-24 years.

Further information can be obtained from the report "Tourism and Travel Statistics, January 1999, No. 144".