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Published: 22 February 2013

Nights spent by foreign tourists in Finland up by 4.5 per cent in December 2012

The number of recorded nights spent by foreign tourists at Finnish accommodation establishments in December 2012 was 525,000, which was 4.5 per cent more than in December 2011. The number of nights spent by resident tourists went up by 1.8 per cent and totalled 818,000 in December 2012. The total number of overnight stays increased by 2.8 per cent from the year before. Accommodation establishments recorded a total of 1.3 million of them in December 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 20 beds or caravan pitches with electricity connection, and youth hostels.

Change in overnight stays in December 2012/2011, %

Russians and Brits were the largest groups of foreign tourists in December 2012. Accommodation establishments recorded 160,000 overnight stays for Russian tourists and good 114,000 overnight stays for British tourists. The number of nights spent by Russian tourists was 13.7 per cent up and that of nights spent by British tourists 10.7 per cent up on December 2011. Visitors from Germany came third with 26,000 nights spent, which was 6.2 per cent up year-on-year. Swedish and Japanese tourists overnight stays increased by 2-3 per cent compared to December 2011. By contrast, nights spent in Finland by visitors from the other most important inbound tourism countries decreased from the year before. The biggest drops were seen in overnight stays by Norwegians, 15.9 per cent and by Italians, 15.4 per cent. Overnight stays by Spanish visitors decreased by 13.5 per cent, and those by visitors from France by 12.9 per cent compared to 2011. Accommodation establishments recorded 10.2 per cent less overnight stays by Estonian visitors compared to December 2011.

By region, the total number of overnight stays increased most in December 2012 in Central Ostrobothnia, up by 15.4 per cent. In Kymenlaakso, overnight stays grew by 12.6 per cent, in North Karelia by 12.0 per cent and in Lapland by 10.4 per cent. Overnight stays decreased most in Åland, 7.9 per cent down, and in Varsinais-Suomi, 6.5 per cent down. Overnight stays in the whole country increased by 2.8 per cent from last year.

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

Overnight stays in hotels increased by 1.2 per cent in December 2012

In December 2012, the total number of nights spent in hotels was just under 1.2 million, which was 1.2 per cent higher than twelve months earlier. Overnight stays by foreign tourists increased by 3.8 per cent and accommodation establishments recorded a total of good 456,000 of them. Recorded nights spent by resident tourists in hotels numbered 699,000. The number was 0.4 per cent lower than in December 2011.

The occupancy rate of hotel rooms was 42.3 per cent in December. One year earlier, it was 43.6 per cent. Examined by region, the highest hotel room occupancy rates were recorded in Lapland, 56.7 per cent, and Uusimaa, 49.6 per cent. In Rovaniemi, the hotel room occupancy rate was 78.2 per cent and in Vantaa 62.9 per cent. Hotel room occupancy rate in Helsinki was 52.6 per cent.

In December, the realised average price of a hotel room was EUR 90.54 per day for the whole country. Twelve months previously it was EUR 90.93.

Hotel room occupancy rate and the monthly average price

Total number of nights spent at all accommodation establishments went up by 1.6 per cent in January to December 2012

In 2012, the number of nights spent at accommodation establishments in Finland totalled a record 20 million, which was 1.6 per cent up on the year before. Overnight stays by foreign tourists increased by 5.4 per cent and accommodation establishments recorded a total of 5.8 million of them. Overnight stays by resident tourists numbered 14.5 million, which was almost the same as in 2011.

Accommodation establishments recorded 1.5 million overnight stays for Russians and, as usual, they were by far the largest group of foreign visitors in 2012. At 17.1 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. Overnight stays by Swedish visitors decreased by 2.7 per cent, and those by visitors from Germany by 1.2 per cent compared to 2011. By contrast, the numbers of overnight stays by visitors from Great Britain increased and was 405,000, which was 4.2 per cent more than in January-December 2011. Estonian visitors spent 235,000 nights, which was 3.1 per cent up on twelve months earlier. The number of nights spent by visitors from France rose to nearly 218,000, which was 2.0 per cent up on January-December 2011. However, among the most important countries of inbound tourism into Finland, overnight stays of visitors from Japan increased most, or by 20.8 per cent, and 177,000 overnight stays were recorded for them. In 2012, the biggest decreases in overnight stays were seen for visitors from Spain, down by 25.5 per cent, and Italy, down by 16.4 per cent.

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

Source: Accommodation Statistics. Statistics Finland

Inquiries: Marjut Tuominen 09 1734 3556, Ossi Nurmi 09 1734 2984, liikenne.matkailu@stat.fi

Director in charge: Hannele Orjala

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Appendix tables

• Appendix table 1. Capacity and its utilization, December 2012 (22.2.2013)
• Appendix table 2. Nights spend in all establishments, December 2012 (22.2.2013)
• Appendix table 3. Hotel capacity and capacity utilization, December 2012 (22.2.2013)
• Appendix table 4. Nights spend in hotels, December 2012 (22.2.2013)
• Appendix table 5. Visitor arrivals and nights spend by country of residence, December 2012 (22.2.2013)
• Appendix table 6. Nights spend in all establishments, 2012 (22.2.2013)

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Updated 22.2.2013