Home > Statistics > Accommodation statistics > 2012 > February > Nights spent by foreign tourists in Finland up by 22 per cent in February 2012

Published: 19 April 2012

Nights spent by foreign tourists in Finland up by 22 per cent in February 2012

The number of recorded nights spent by foreign tourists at Finnish accommodation establishments in February 2012 was 428,000, which is 22 per cent higher than in February 2011. The total number of overnight stays increased by eight per cent from last year and altogether good 1.4 million overnight stays were recorded at accommodation establishments. The number of nights spent by resident tourists went up by three per cent and totalled one million in February 2012. 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 February 2012/2011, %

As in January, Russians were the largest group of foreign tourists in February 2012. Overnight stays recorded for them at accommodation establishments numbered nearly 79,000, which was 32 per cent more than in February 2011. Britons and Germans came next with over 40,000 recorded overnight stays each. Compared with February 2011, the number of nights spent by British visitors was 26 per cent up and that of nights spent by German visitors 19 per cent up. The fourth largest group were French visitors for whom accommodation establishments recorded 36,000 nights spent. The number was 18 per cent higher than one year previously. However, overnight stays by visitors from Japan increased most, or by 51 per cent, and accommodation establishments recorded 20,000 of them in February 2012. Compared with February 2011, the number of nights spent by visitors from Estonia was 27 per cent up and that of nights spent by visitors from Norway 22 per cent up. By contrast, nights spent by Spanish tourists at accommodation establishments fell by 15 per cent. 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 Italy, as the number of nights spent by visitors from there fell by one per cent.

By region, the total number of overnight stays in February 2012 increased most in South Karelia, up by 57 per cent, and North Karelia, up by 24 per cent. The number of recorded overnight stays grew by 14 per cent in Lapland and by 12 per cent in Päijät-Häme from February 2011. In Kainuu, overnight stays increased by 11 per cent and in both Kanta-Häme and North Ostrobothnia by 10 per cent. In Uusimaa, the number of recorded overnight stays was six per cent up year-on-year.Overnight stays decreased most in Åland, seven per cent down, and in Central Ostrobothnia, five per cent down. In the whole country, overnight stays increased by eight per cent from February 2011.

Change in overnight stays in February by region 2012 / 2011, %

Nights spent in hotels increased by nine per cent in February 2012

In February 2012, the total number of nights spent in hotels rose to nearly 1.3 million , which was nine per cent up year-on-year. Overnight stays by foreign tourists increased by 23 per cent and hotels recorded a total of 383,000 of them. Recorded nights spent by resident tourists in hotels numbered 874,000. The number was 3.5 per cent higher than in February 2011.

The occupancy rate of hotel rooms was 52.2 per cent in February. One year earlier, it was 50.4 per cent. Examined by region, the highest hotel room occupancy rates were recorded in Lapland, 59.5 per cent, and Central Finland, 57.9 per cent. In Rovaniemi, the hotel room occupancy rate was 80.5 per cent and in Sodankylä 75.6 per cent. Hotel room occupancy rate in Helsinki was 58.8 per cent.

In February, the realised average price of a hotel room was EUR 91.67 per day for the whole country. Twelve months previously, it was EUR 89.73.

Hotel room occupancy rate and the monthly average price

Total number of nights spent at all accommodation establishments grew by seven per cent in January-February 2012

Over this January and February, the number of nights spent at accommodation establishments in Finland totalled good 2.8 million, which was seven per cent up on the respective time period of last year. Overnight stays by foreign tourists increased by 17 per cent and accommodation establishments recorded a total of one million of them. Overnight stays by resident tourists numbered 1.8 million, which was two per cent more than in January-February 2011.

Overnight stays recorded at accommodation establishments in Finland for Russian visitors in the early part of the year numbered 396,000, which was one-fifth up year-on-year. British and German visitors came next. Overnight stays by British visitors increased by 21 per cent and numbered 84,000. German visitors spent 73,000 nights at accommodation establishments. The number was 14 per cent higher than twelve months back. The number of nights spent by visitors from France rose to nearly 62,000, which was nine per cent up on the early part of 2011. Over 40,000 overnight stays were recorded for visitors from both Estonia and the Netherlands. Overnight stays by Estonian visitors increased by 16 per cent and those by Dutch visitors by two per cent. However, the biggest increase of 57 per cent was recorded in overnight stays by visitors from Japan who spent 36,000 nights at accommodation establishments. Nights spent at Finnish accommodation establishments by visitors from almost all the most important countries of inbound tourism to Finland increased in the early part of 2012.

Change in overnight stays in January-February 2012/2011, %

Source: Accommodation Statistics 2012. 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, February 2012 (19.4.2012)
• Appendix table 2. Nights spend in all establishments, February 2012 (19.4.2012)
• Appendix table 3. Hotel capacity and capacity utilization, February 2012 (19.4.2012)
• Appendix table 4. Nights spend in hotels, February 2012 (19.4.2012)
• Appendix table 5. Visitor arrivals and nights spend by country of residence, February 2012 (19.4.2012)
• Appendix table 6. Nights spend in all establishments, 2012 (19.4.2012)

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Updated 19.4.2012