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2. Domestic trips

2.1. Number of domestic leisure trips with paid accommodation remained on level with the previous year

In 2016, some 6.4 million leisure trips were made in Finland during which paid accommodation services, such as hotels, camping sites or rented cottages, were used at least once. The number was on level with the previous year.

Examined by age group, pension-age Finns increased their travel in hotels and rented cottages in Finland. Among persons aged under 35, trips in Finland were less popular than in the year before.

Finns' favourite holiday destinations in Finland were Uusimaa, Pirkanmaa and North Ostrobothnia. Trips to Uusimaa numbered nearly 1.2 million, or 18 per cent of all trips with paid accommodation. Ten per cent of trips were headed to Pirkanmaa and nine per cent to North Ostrobothnia.

The number of leisure trips to Lapland was unchanged in 2016 from the year before. Lapland attracted tourists around the year, but the most popular time to travel there was in March to April to enjoy spring skiing and in September during the autumn colours. When travelling in the rest of Finland, the most popular times were summer months. Eighteen per cent of trips with paid accommodation in Finland were made in July.

Domestic tourists were interested in big towns, because three out of four trips to Uusimaa were made to Helsinki. Of trips to Pirkanmaa, four out of five were headed to Tampere and of trips to Varsinais-Suomi, nearly two out of three to Turku.

In Finland, passenger cars were the most usual means of travel as nearly 80 per cent of trips were made with passenger cars. Bus travel decreased from the previous year, but more domestic travellers took a train or an airplane than one year earlier.

The number of nights spent during domestic leisure trips involving paid accommodation totalled 15.5 million, which was slightly more than in 2015. Of overnight stays, 66 per cent took place in hotels, holiday villages and camping sites, and 34 per cent in rented cottages.

2.2. Trips with free accommodation to big towns

Good 19 million overnight leisure trips with free accommodation were made in Finland, i.e. to own free-time residences or to relatives or friends. The number of these trips with free accommodation remained almost at the same level as in the previous year.

Of the trips with free accommodation, three million were made to Uusimaa, and 45 per cent of them to Helsinki. In all, two million trips with free accommodation were made to Pirkanmaa and 47 per cent of them to Tampere. A total of 1.5 million trips were made to Varsinais-Suomi and 44 per cent of them to Turku. Trips with free accommodation to North Ostrobothnia numbered 1.8 million.

The high season for trips with free accommodation was the summer months, as good one-third of trips with free accommodation in 2016 were made in June to August.

2.3. Domestic business trips increased

A total of 3.9 million business trips with overnight stay were made in Finland in 2016. More domestic business trips were made than in 2015.

Domestic business trips were typically very short. Fifty-five per cent of the trips lasted only for one night and 34 per cent for two to three nights.

Domestic business trips were usually made by passenger car, as 64 per cent of the trips were made driving one's car. Twenty-two per cent of business trips were made by train and 10 per cent by plane.


Source: Finnish Travel, Statistics Finland

Inquiries: Taru Tamminen 029 551 2243, Teemu Okkonen 029 551 2634, liikenne.matkailu@stat.fi

Director in charge: Mari Ylä-Jarkko


Updated 29.3.2017

Referencing instructions:

Official Statistics of Finland (OSF): Finnish Travel [e-publication].
ISSN=1798-9027. 2016, 2. Domestic trips . Helsinki: Statistics Finland [referred: 29.3.2024].
Access method: http://www.stat.fi/til/smat/2016/smat_2016_2017-03-29_kat_002_en.html