Home > Statistics > Accommodation statistics > 2011 > May > Nights spent by foreign tourists in Finland up by 13 per cent in May

Published: 14 July 2011

Nights spent by foreign tourists in Finland up by 13 per cent in May

The number of recorded nights spent by foreign tourists at Finnish accommodation establishments in May 2011 was 365,000, which is 13 per cent more than in May 2010. The total number of overnight stays increased by nearly nine per cent from last year and altogether 1.3 million overnight stays were recorded at accommodation establishments. The number of nights spent by resident tourist increased by seven per cent and totalled 956,000 in May 2011. 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 May 2011/2010, %

Russians were the largest group of foreign tourists in May with good 67,000 overnight stays. The number of nights recorded for them at Finnish accommodation establishments was 21 per cent higher than one year earlier. Visitors from Sweden came next with 46,000 nights spent, which was four per cent up on May 2010. The third largest group were German tourists for whom accommodation establishment recorded 34,000 nights spent. The number was 12 per cent higher than one year previously. Nights spent by visitors from almost all the most important countries of inbound tourism to Finland increased in May. Besides for Russian visitors, significant growths were also recorded in the nights spent by visitors from Spain; up by 45 per cent, and Estonia for whom 29 per cent more overnight stays were recorded than in May 2010. Norwegian visitors were the only group for which the number of overnight stays fell slightly in May. Nevertheless, they spent nearly as many nights at accommodation establishment as one year earlier.

By region, the total number of overnight stays increased most in Central Ostrobothnia, up by 21 per cent, and Pohjois-Savo, up by 16 per cent. Numbers of nights spent in Päijät-Häme, South Karelia and South Ostrobothnia were all up by 15 per cent year-on-year. Overnight stays decreased most in Kainuu, six per cent down, and in Central Finland, four per cent down.

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

Overnight stays in hotels increased by 10 per cent in May

The total number of nights spent in hotels rose to 1.1 million, which was 10 per cent up on the year before. Compared with May 2010, the number of nights spent by foreign tourists increased by 15.5 per cent and that of nights spent by resident tourists by good eight per cent.

The occupancy rate of hotel rooms was 52.4 per cent in May. One year earlier it was 46.9 per cent. Among the regions, the highest occupancy rates of hotel rooms were measured in Uusimaa, 69.4 per cent, and Varsinais-Suomi, 61.6 per cent. In Helsinki, the occupancy rate of hotel rooms was 74.3 per cent.

In May, the realised average price of a hotel room was EUR 89.16 per day for the whole country. Twelve months previously it was EUR 84.68.

Hotel room occupancy rate and the monthly average price

Total number of nights spent at all accommodation establishments went up by four per cent in the January to May 2011 period

During the January to May period, the number of nights spent at accommodation establishments in Finland totalled seven million, which was four per cent up on the respective time period of last year. Overnight stays by foreign tourists increased by nearly 11 per cent and accommodation establishments recorded a total of two million of them. Overnight stays by resident tourists numbered five million, which was two per cent more than in the same time period last year.

Among the most important countries of inbound tourism to Finland, overnight stays by Spanish visitors increased most, or by 25 per cent, in the January to May period. The number of nights spent by tourists from the USA went up by 22 per cent and that of nights spent by Russian tourists by one-fifth from last year. Accommodation establishments recorded 17 per cent more overnight stays for Norwegian visitors and 11 per cent more overnight stays for visitors from Sweden. By contrast, overnight stays of visitors from the UK decreased by six per cent from the respective time period of last year.

Change in overnight stays in January-May 2011/2010, %

Source: Accommodation Statistics 2011. Statistics Finland

Inquiries: Marjut Tuominen (09) 1734 3556, Ritva Marin (09) 1734 2552, liikenne.matkailu@stat.fi

Director in charge: Hannele Orjala

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Appendix tables

• Appendix table 1. Capacity and its utilization, May 2011 (14.7.2011)
• Appendix table 2. Nights spend in all establishments, May 2011 (14.7.2011)
• Appendix table 3. Hotel capacity and capacity utilization, May 2011 (14.7.2011)
• Appendix table 4. Nights spend in hotels, May 2011 (14.7.2011)
• Appendix table 5. Visitor arrivals and nights spend by country of residence, May 2011 (14.7.2011)
• Appendix table 6. Nights spend in all establishments, 2011 (14.7.2011)

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Updated 14.7.2011