Cypriots also used the cards for withdrawals or purchases abroad worth €113.4m in March and €326.1m in January to March, which are 17% and 16% more compared to the respective periods of 2015, JCC said in an emailed statement on Tuesday.

Tourists visiting Cyprus spent €43.4m in Cyprus with the use of cards in March, which is 13% more compared to a year before, JCC said. In the first three months of the year, the total value of purchases by tourists with the use of plastic money rose an annual 11% to €118.8m.

In March, users of cards processed by JCC spent a total €227,232 and €615,052 in Turkey and Cyprus’s Turkish held area respectively, JCC said. In the first quarter of the year, the respective amounts were €1.8m and €731,431. Holders of Turkish cards spent €1.8m in March for purchases in the government controlled areas and €5.4m in the first three months of the year.

Source: Cyprus Mail