Home > Statistics > Accommodation statistics > 2012 > May > Nights spent by foreign tourists in Finland up by 7 per cent in May 2012

Published: 19 July 2012

Nights spent by foreign tourists in Finland up by 7 per cent in May 2012

The number of recorded nights spent by foreign tourists at Finnish accommodation establishments in May 2012 was 389,000, which was 7 per cent higher than one year earlier. By contrast, the number of nights spent by resident tourists at accommodation establishments decreased by 1.5 per cent and totalled 952,000 in May 2012. The total number of overnight stays increased by one per cent and altogether good 1.3 million overnight stays were recorded at accommodation establishments. These figures are preliminary data from Statistics Finland’s statistics on accommodation establishments and they have been collected from accommodation establishments with at least 20 beds or caravan pitches with electricity connection, and youth hostels.

Change in overnight stays in May 2012/2011, %

The growth in the number of nights spent by Russian visitors continued in May 2012. Overnight stays recorded for them at accommodation establishments in Finland numbered nearly 81,000, which was one-fifth up on May 2011. Swedish and German visitors came next. Swedish visitors spent 46,500 nights which was 3 per cent more than one year earlier. By contrast, overnight stays recorded for German visitors decreased by 7 per cent and totalled 31,500 in May 2012. Accommodation establishments recorded nearly 20,000 overnight stays for visitors from both Britain and the United States. Overnight stays by British visitors decreased by 12 per cent while those by visitors from the United States remained almost on level with last year's May. By contrast, nights spent by Norwegian visitors increased by 12 per cent and those by Japanese visitors by 3 per cent. The Mediterranean countries accounted for the biggest decreases in overnight stays. Overnight stays recorded for Spanish visitors decreased by 37 per cent and those for Italian visitors by 23 per cent from the year before. Smaller changes took place in the nights spent by visitors from the other most important countries of inbound tourism to Finland.

By region, the total number of overnight stays increased most in South Karelia, up by 28 per cent in May. In Kainuu, the growth in the number of nights spent was 7 per cent and in Uusimaa 6 six per cent. In Central Finland, Ostrobothnia and Lapland the number of recorded overnight stays was 4 per cent up on May 2011. Overnight stays decreased most in South Ostrobothnia and Kymenlaakso, by 12 per cent in both. In Central Ostrobothnia the number of recorded overnight stays was 11 per down and in Pohjois-Savo 10 per cent down on May 2011. Overnight stays in the whole country increased by one per cent from the previous year.

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

Nights spent in hotels increased by one per cent in May 2012

The total number of nights spent in hotels was good 1.1 million in May 2012, which was one per cent higher than twelve months earlier. Overnight stays by foreign tourists increased by 6 per cent and hotels recorded a total of 346,000 of them. Recorded nights spent by resident tourists in hotels numbered 807,000. The number was almost the same as in May 2011.

The occupancy rate of hotel rooms was 50.9 per cent in May. One year earlier, it was 52.5 per cent. Among the regions, the highest occupancy rates of hotel rooms were measured in Uusimaa, 69.2 per cent, and South Karelia, 55.5 per cent. In Lappeenranta, the hotel room occupancy rate was 66.5 per cent and in Vantaa 73.2 per cent. Hotel room occupancy rate in Helsinki was 75.4 per cent.

In May, the realised average price of a hotel room was EUR 96.10 per day for the whole country. Twelve months previously it was EUR 88.88.

Hotel room occupancy rate and the monthly average price

Total number of nights spent at all accommodation establishments grew by 4 per cent in the January to May 2012 period

Over the January-May period of 2012, the number of nights spent at accommodation establishments in Finland totalled 7.3 million, which was 4 per cent more than in the same period of last year. Overnight stays by foreign tourists went up by 12 per cent and accommodation establishments recorded a total of 2.2 million of them. Overnight stays by resident tourists numbered 5.1 million, which was one per cent more than in January-May 2011.

Overnight stays recorded at Finnish accommodation establishments for Russian visitors in January-May numbered 672,000, which was one-fifth up on the same period one year earlier. German and Swedish visitors came next. Overnight stays by German visitors increased by 5.5 per cent and numbered 178,000. Night spent by visitors from Sweden at Finnish accommodation establishments numbered 160,000, which was almost the same as in the same period of the previous year. Overnight stays by British visitors numbered 158,000, which was 8 per cent more than in January-May 2011. The number of nights spent by French visitors was 109,000, which was 5 per cent higher than twelve months earlier. The number of nights spent by Estonian visitors rose to 96,000, which was 15 per cent up on January-May 2011. However, the biggest increase of 34 per cent was recorded in overnight stays by Japanese visitors, who spent 65,000 nights at Finnish accommodation establishments.

Change in overnight stays in January-May 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, May 2012 (19.7.2012)
• Appendix table 2. Nights spend in all establishments, May 2012 (19.7.2012)
• Appendix table 3. Hotel capacity and capacity utilization, May 2012 (19.7.2012)
• Appendix table 4. Nights spend in hotels, May 2012 (19.7.2012)
• Appendix table 5. Visitor arrivals and nights spend by country of residence, May 2012 (19.7.2012)
• Appendix table 6. Nights spend in all establishments, 2012 (19.7.2012)

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Updated 19.7.2012