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Published: 16 February 2012

Nights spent by foreign tourists in Finland up by 12 per cent in December 2011

The number of recorded nights spent by foreign tourists at Finnish accommodation establishments in December 2011 was 504,000, which was 12 per cent more than in December 2010. The total number of nights spent increased by four per cent from the previous year and altogether 1.3 million overnight stays were recorded at accommodation establishments. The number of nights spent by resident tourists decreased by just under one per cent and totalled 802,000 in December 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 December 2011/2010, %

Russians and Britons were the largest groups of foreign tourists in December 2011. Accommodation establishments recorded nearly 141,000 overnight stays for Russian tourists and 104,000 overnight stays for British tourists. The number of nights spent by Russian tourists was 22 per cent up and that of nights spent by British tourists six per cent up on December 2010. Visitors from France came third with 27,000 nights spent, which was two per cent up year-on-year. However, overnight stays by visitors from Japan increased most, or by 37 per cent, and 17,000 of them were recorded at accommodation establishments in December 2011. Compared with December 2010, the number of nights spent by Norwegian tourists was 26 per cent up and that of nights spent by Estonian tourists 23 per cent up. By contrast, nights spent by Dutch tourists at accommodation establishments fell by as much as one-fifth. When examining the other most important countries of inbound tourism to Finland, the only other one for which a reduction in overnight stays was recorded was Sweden, as visitors from there spent one per cent fewer nights in Finland than in December 2010.

By region, the total number of overnight stays increased most in December 2011 in the regions of South Karelia, up by 48 per cent, and Etelä-Savo, up by 27 per cent. The number of recorded overnight stays grew by 23 per cent in Åland and by 15 per cent in North Ostrobothnia from December 2010. In Varsinais-Suomi overnight stays increased by eight per cent and in both Päijät-Häme and Ostrobothnia by seven per cent. In Lapland, the number of recorded overnight stays was three per cent up year-on-year.Nights spent decreased most in Central Ostrobothnia, 21 per cent down, and in Kymenlaakso, 12 per cent down. In the whole country, overnight stays increased by four per cent from December 2010.

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

Overnight stays in hotels increased by four per cent in December 2011

The total number of nights spent in hotels rose to 1.1 million in December 2011, which was four per cent up on the year before. Overnight stays by foreign tourists increased by 11 per cent and accommodation establishments recorded a total of 441,000 of them. Recorded nights spent by resident tourists in hotels numbered 700,000. The number was just under one per cent higher than in December 2010.

The occupancy rate of hotel rooms was 43.5 per cent in December 2011. One year earlier it was 43.1 per cent. Examined by region, the highest hotel room occupancy rates were recorded in Lapland, 52.8 per cent, and Uusimaa, 51.8 per cent. In Rovaniemi the hotel room occupancy rate was 76.5 per cent and in Helsinki 55.7 per cent.

In December the realised average price of a hotel room was EUR 91.36 per day for the whole country. Twelve months previously it was EUR 87.88.

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 January to December 2011

In 2011, the number of nights spent at accommodation establishments in Finland totalled close on 20 million, which was four per cent up on the year before. Overnight stays by foreign tourists increased by 10 per cent and accommodation establishments recorded a total of 5.5 million of them. Overnight stays by resident tourists numbered 14.5 million, which was two per cent more than in January to December 2010.

Nearly 1.3 million nights spent at Finnish accommodation establishments were recorded for Russians and, as usual, they were by far the largest group of foreign visitors in 2011. At 22 per cent, the increase in their overnight stays was the largest in January to December. Visitors from Germany and Sweden came next with good 500,000 recorded overnight stays each. This was 6-7 per cent more than in the year before. Britons were next with 390,000 nights spent, even though the number fell by four per cent from the previous year. Over 200,000 overnight stays were recorded for visitors from Estonia, France and the United States. The number of nights spent by visitors from the United States grew by 13 per cent and that of visitors from Estonia by 11 per cent while the number of overnight stays by French visitors was on level with the previous year. Nights spent at Finnish accommodation establishments by visitors from almost all the most important countries of inbound tourism to Finland increased in 2011.

Change in overnight stays in January-December 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, December 2011 (16.2.2012)
• Appendix table 2. Nights spend in all establishments, December 2011 (16.2.2012)
• Appendix table 3. Hotel capacity and capacity utilization, December 2011 (16.2.2012)
• Appendix table 4. Nights spend in hotels, December 2011 (16.2.2012)
• Appendix table 5. Visitor arrivals and nights spend by country of residence, December 2011 (16.2.2012)
• Appendix table 6. Nights spend in all establishments, 2011 (16.2.2012)

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Updated 16.2.2012