In August, the value of cash withdrawals and purchases by Cypriots abroad rose 25%, to €126.1m, compared to the respective month of 2015, JCC said in an emailed statement. Tourists spent a total of €92.8m with the use of cards in Cyprus, 14% more compared to the respective month of 2015.

In January to August, total purchases by Cypriots at merchants in Cyprus with the use of plastic money rose 6%, to over €1.5bn, while the value of purchases and cash withdrawals abroad rose 19%, to €916.6m, JCC said. In the first eight months of the year, tourists spent a total of €507.6m using their cards.

In August, holders of Turkish cards spent atotal of €2.2m for purchases in the government controlled areas, mainly for groceries and clothing, JCC said. In January to August, holders of Turkish cards spent a total of €16.2m in Cyprus.

On the other hand, holders of cards issued by Cypriot banks spent €686,253 and €325,741 respectively in Cyprus’ Turkish held areas and Turkey last month. In January to August, they spent €5m and €2.1m.

Source: Cyprus Mail