Home > Statistics > Accommodation statistics > 2011 > July > Nights spent by foreign tourists in Finland increased by 8 per cent in July

Published: 15 September 2011

Nights spent by foreign tourists in Finland increased by 8 per cent in July

The number of recorded nights spent by foreign tourists at Finnish accommodation establishments in July 2011 was 741,000, which was eight per cent higher than in July 2010. The total number of overnight stays increased by one per cent from last year and altogether 3.1 million overnight stays were recorded at accommodation establishments. By contrast, the number of nights spent by resident tourists decreased by one per cent and totalled 2.4 million in July 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 July 2011/2010, %

As for the whole of the current year, Russians were the largest group of foreign tourists in July with 141,000 overnight stays. The number of nights recorded for them at Finnish accommodation establishments was 31 per cent higher than one year earlier. Visitors from Sweden came next with 116,000 nights spent. However, the number was three per cent down on July 2010. The third largest group were German tourists for whom accommodation establishments recorded 92,000 overnight stays, which was two per cent more than one year earlier. Besides for Russian visitors, strong growths were also recorded in the nights spent by visitors from Spain and the U.S., both of which were 15 per cent up on July 2010. Overnight stays of Italian tourists increased by 14 per cent and those of visitors from Estonia by 12 per cent from the year before. By contrast, overnight stays of British visitors at accommodation establishments decreased by six per cent, and those of Dutch and Japanese visitors both by three per cent from July last year.

By region, the total number of overnight stays increased most in the regions of South Ostrobothnia, up by 18 per cent, and Päijät-Häme, up by 11 per cent. In Uusimaa and Etelä-Savo, recorded overnight stays increased by eight per cent and in Lapland by seven per cent from the year before. Overnight stays in Varsinais-Suomi and North Ostrobothnia increased by four per cent. Overnight stays decreased most in Satakunta, by 13 per cent, and in Pohjois-Savo, by 12 per cent.

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

Overnight stays in hotels increased by three per cent in July

The total number of nights spent in hotels rose to 2 million in July, which was three per cent up on the year before. Compared with July 2010, the number of nights spent by foreign tourists increased by nine per cent while that of nights spent by domestic tourists was almost unchanged.

The occupancy rate of hotel rooms was 61.5 per cent in July. One year earlier it was 59.9 per cent. Among the regions, the highest occupancy rates of hotel rooms were measured in South Karelia ,79.3 per cent, and Åland, 78.2 per cent. In Lappeenranta, the hotel room occupancy rate was 89.4 per cent and in Mariehamn 84.5 per cent. Hotel room occupancy rate in Helsinki was 73.4 per cent.

In July, the realised average price of a hotel room was EUR 81.41 per day for the whole country. Twelve months previously it was EUR 78.42.

Hotel room occupancy rate and the monthly average price

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

From January to July, the number of nights spent at accommodation establishments in Finland totalled 12.2 million, which was three per cent up on the respective time period of last year. Overnight stays by foreign tourists increased by 10 per cent and accommodation establishments recorded a total of 3.2 million of them. Overnight stays by resident tourists numbered nearly nine million, which was one per cent more than in the same time period last year.

Among the most important countries of inbound tourism to Finland, overnight stays by Russian visitors increased most, or by 23 per cent, in the January to July period. Overnight stays by Spanish tourists went up by 22 per cent and those by visitors from the United States by one-fifth from the same time period of 2010. Accommodation establishments recorded a 9 per cent year-on-year growth in overnight stays by visitors from Estonia, Norway and Italy alike. By contrast, nights spent by tourists from Britain decreased by six per cent from the previous year's respective time period.

Change in overnight stays in January-July 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, July 2011 (15.9.2011)
• Appendix table 2. Nights spend in all establishments, July 2011 (15.9.2011)
• Appendix table 3. Hotel capacity and capacity utilization, July 2011 (15.9.2011)
• Appendix table 4. Nights spend in hotels, July 2011 (15.9.2011)
• Appendix table 5. Visitor arrivals and nights spend by country of residence, July 2011 (15.9.2011)
• Appendix table 6. Nights spend in all establishments, 2011 (15.9.2011)

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Updated 15.9.2011