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Published: 19 May 2011

Nights spent by foreign tourists in Finland up by 10 per cent in March

The number of recorded nights spent by foreign tourists at Finnish accommodation establishments in March 2011 was 413,000, which is 10 per cent more than in March 2010. The total number of overnight stays increased by one per cent from last year and altogether 1.6 million overnight stays were recorded at accommodation establishments. Overnight stays by domestic tourists numbered 1.2 million, which was one per cent down on last year's March. These figures are preliminary data from Statistics Finland’s statistics on accommodation establishments and they have been collected from accommodation establishments with at least 10 rooms, cottages, or caravan pitches with electricity connection, and youth hostels.

Change in overnight stays in March 2011/2010, %

Russians were the largest group of visitors in March with 94,000 overnight stays. The number of nights recorded for them at Finnish accommodation establishments was 36 per cent higher than one year earlier. Germans came next with 45,000 nights spent, with an increase of 10 per cent from the previous year. Swedish and British tourists came third, each with nearly 32,000 recorded nights spent at accommodation establishments. Overnight stays of Swedish visitors increased by 15 per cent whereas those of visitors from Britain decreased by four per cent from March last year. Nights spent by visitors from almost all the most important countries of inbound tourism to Finland increased in March. Besides for Russian visitors, significant growths were also recorded in the nights spent by visitors from Norway; up by 27 per cent, and Japan for whom nearly one-quarter more overnight stays were recorded than in March 2010. In addition to British visitors, Italian and Estonian visitors were the other group for which a drop in overnight stays was recorded in March. The nights they spent at accommodation establishments decreased by 10-12 per cent from the year before.

By region, the total number of overnight stays increased most in the regions of South Karelia, up by 22 per cent, and Kymenlaakso, up by 19 per cent. In Päijät-Häme, recorded overnight stays went up by 14.5 per cent and in Åland by 14 per cent from the year before. Nights spent decreased most in Central Ostrobothnia, 14 per cent down, and in North Karelia, 13 per cent down.

Change in overnight stays in March by region 2011 / 2010, %

Overnight stays in hotels increased by 2.5 per cent in March

The total number of nights spent in hotels rose to 1.4 million, which was 2.5 per cent up on the year before. Compared with March 2010, the number of nights spent by foreign tourists increased by 13 per cent whereas that of domestic tourists decreased by one per cent.

The occupancy rate of hotel rooms was 54.8 per cent in March. One year earlier, it was 53.2 per cent. Examined by region, the highest hotel room occupancy rates were recorded in the regions of Kainuu, 63.0 per cent, and Lapland, 62.6 per cent. In Sotkamo, the hotel room occupancy rate was 78.0 per cent and in Kittilä 76.5 per cent. The occupancy rate of hotel rooms in Helsinki was 62.5 per cent.

In March the realised average price of a hotel room was EUR 91.78 per day for the whole country. Twelve months previously it was EUR 87.65.

Hotel room occupancy rate and the monthly average price

Total number of nights spent at all accommodation establishments went up by two per cent in the January to March period

During the January to March period, the number of nights spent at accommodation establishments in Finland totalled 4.2 million, which was two per cent up on the respective time period of the previous year. Overnight stays by foreign tourists increased by five per cent and their total recorded number was nearly 1.3 million. Overnight stays by domestic tourists numbered just under 3 million, which was roughly the same as in the same time period last year.

Among the most important countries of inbound tourism to Finland, overnight stays by Norwegian visitors increased most, or by 19 per cent, during the January to March period. The year-on-year growth in the number of overnight stays by tourists from both the USA and Russia amounted to between 13 and 14 per cent. Twelve per cent growth was recorded by accommodation establishments in the number of nights spent by visitors from Sweden. By contrast, British visitors spent 12 per cent fewer nights than last year. Overnight stays by visitors from France decreased by six per cent from the respective time period of last year.

Förändring i övernattningar i januari-mars 2011/2010, %

Source: Accommodation Statistics 2011, Statistics Finland

Inquiries: Marjut Tuominen (09) 1734 3556, Merja Rönkä (09) 1734 3209, liikenne.matkailu@stat.fi

Director in charge: Hannele Orjala

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Appendix tables

• Appendix table 1. Capacity and its utilization, March 2011 (19.5.2011)
• Appendix table 2. Nights spend in all establishments, March 2011 (19.5.2011)
• Appendix table 3. Hotel capacity and capacity utilization, March 2011 (19.5.2011)
• Appendix table 4. Nights spend in hotels, March 2011 (19.5.2011)
• Appendix table 5. Visitor arrivals and nights spend by country of residence, March 2011 (19.5.2011)
• Appendix table 6. Nights spend in all establishments, 2011 (19.5.2011)

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Updated 19.5.2011