Home > Statistics > Accommodation statistics > 2011 > September > Nights spent by foreign tourists in Finland up by 10 per cent in September

Published: 10 November 2011

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

The number of recorded nights spent by foreign tourists at Finnish accommodation establishments in September 2011 was 396,000, which was 10 per cent higher than in September 2010. The total number of overnight stays increased by four per cent from last year and accommodation establishments recorded a total of 1.6 million of them. The number of nights spent by resident tourists went up by two per cent and totalled 1.2 million in September 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 September 2011/2010, %

As usual, Russians were the largest group of foreign tourists in September with their 64,500 overnight stays. The number of nights recorded for them at Finnish accommodation establishments was 19 per cent higher than one year earlier. Swedes were next with 44,000 nights spent. The number was five per cent higher than in September 2010. Visitors from Germany came third with 37,000 nights spent, which was eight per cent up year-on-year. Nights spent by visitors from Norway increased by 11 per cent from twelve months back. By contrast, overnight stays by French tourists fell by one-fifth and those by visitors from Japan by 10 per cent from last year. The growth in the number of nights spent by tourists from the United States halted and accommodation establishment recorded 21,000 overnight stays for them, which was three per cent down on September 2010.

By region, the total number of overnight stays increased most in the regions of South Ostrobothnia, up by 23 per cent, and South Karelia, up by 15 per cent. In Etelä-Savo, recorded overnight stays went up by nine per cent and in Pirkanmaa by eight per cent from the year before. Overnight stays increased by seven per cent in both Päijät-Häme and Satakunta. Six per cent growth was reached in Uusimaa and North Ostrobothnia. Overnight stays decreased most in Central Finland, 11 per cent down, and in Central Ostrobothnia, six per cent down. In the whole country, overnight stays increased by four per cent from September 2010.

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

Overnight stays in hotels increased by three per cent in September

The total number of nights spent in hotels rose to 1.3 million in September, which was three per cent up on the year before. Overnight stays by foreign tourists increased by seven per cent and hotels recorded a total of 340,000 of them. Recorded nights spent by resident tourists in hotels numbered just under 970,000. The number was two per cent higher than one year previously.

The occupancy rate of hotel rooms was 56.8 per cent in September. One year earlier it was 55.9 per cent. Among the regions, the highest occupancy rates of hotel rooms were measured in Uusimaa, 72.3 per cent, and South Karelia, 65.2 per cent. In Lappeenranta, the hotel room occupancy rate was 81.4 per cent and in Vantaa 72.0 per cent. Hotel room occupancy rate in Helsinki was 80.2 per cent.

In September, the realised average price of a hotel room was EUR 90.27 per day for the whole country. Twelve months previously it was EUR 87.27.

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 September 2011 period

Between January and September, the number of nights spent at accommodation establishments in Finland totalled 16 million, which was four per cent up on the respective time period of last year. Overnight stays by foreign tourists increased by 11 per cent and accommodation establishments recorded a total of 4.4 million of them. Overnight stays by resident tourists numbered 11.6 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 visitors from Russia increased most, or by 23 per cent, in the January to September period. Overnight stays by Spanish tourists went up by 17 per cent and those by visitors from the United States by almost equally much, or by 16 per cent. Overnight stays by Italian tourists increased by 13 per cent and those by Estonian tourists by 10 per cent year-on-year. The numbers of overnight stays by visitors from the other main countries of inbound tourism grew more moderately. By contrast, nights spent by tourists from Britain have been decreasing almost throughout the current year and over the January to September period the drop amounted to a further six per cent.

Change in overnight stays in January-September 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, September 2011 (10.11.2011)
• Appendix table 2. Nights spend in all establishments, September 2011 (10.11.2011)
• Appendix table 3. Hotel capacity and capacity utilization, September 2011 (10.11.2011)
• Appendix table 4. Nights spend in hotels, September 2011 (10.11.2011)
• Appendix table 5. Visitor arrivals and nights spend by country of residence, September 2011 (10.11.2011)
• Appendix table 6. Nights spend in all establishments, 2011 (10.11.2011)

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Updated 10.11.2011