NICOSIA (AFP) — The number of tourists arriving in Cyprus dived 7.1 percent in January from a year earlier, continuing the weak trend of recent months, official figures showed on Wednesday.
Arrivals last month in the Mediterranean island fell to 47,066 from 50,658 in January 2008.
The latest month showed a steep 8.5 percent plunge in people flying in from Britain -- the island's biggest holiday market -- a 5.6 percent decrease in visitors from Germany and a 4.1 percent dip in people from Greece.
By contrast, there was a 42.9 percent spike in holidaymakers from Russia, jumping to 2,793 last month.
In 2008 total arrivals eased 0.5 percent to 2.40 million tourists down from 2.41 million a year earlier.
It was only the fourth time year-on-year tourism numbers have dropped since 1996 and hotel bookings are said to be 25 percent down for this summer.
More significantly, total tourism receipts for last year dropped by 3.5 percent to 1.79 billion euros from 1.85 billion in 2007.
The government has approved more than 350 million euros in stimulus measures to stave off job losses in the key tourism and construction sectors that contribute a combined 30 percent of GDP.
Bumper tourism revenues helped the island achieve GDP growth of 4.4 percent in 2007.
Due to concerns the global financial crisis will trigger lower tourism revenues, the finance ministry revised its GDP growth forecast downwards to 3.7 percent for 2008 and a slower 2.1 percent for this year.
The European Commission estimates Cyprus? eurozone growth will be closer to one percent.
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