The flag of Northern Cyprus.
(illustration) -
AMIR MAKAR / AFP
The coronavirus has hit hard.
After four record years, Cyprus has seen its visitor numbers drop 84% in 2020 due to the health crisis.
Tourist arrivals fell from 3.97 million in 2019 to 631,609 in 2020, according to official statistics.
The pandemic has decimated the island's crucial tourism industry, which usually contributes 15% of the island's gross domestic product (GDP).
In 2019, the sector generated nearly 2.7 billion euros.
In December, only 9,682 arrivals were recorded, a drop of 91% compared to the same month last year.
A second strict confinement in Cyprus
Traveler arrivals have fallen due to government-imposed containment measures.
Entry bans for travelers from certain countries (UK, Russia and Israel) have had a significant impact.
The pandemic thus ended four successive record years in tourism, which had helped the island recover from the financial crisis of 2013.
The government quickly took restrictive measures after the appearance of the first cases of contamination, but the island is struggling to contain the Covid-19.
Cyprus is currently experiencing a second national lockdown.
Most European countries are now on the list of prohibited departure countries.
The island has officially recorded more than 31,000 contaminations, including 186 deaths to date.
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