Home > Statistics > Accommodation statistics > 2013 > December > Nights spent by foreign tourists in Finland up by 5.5 per cent in December 2013

Published: 20 February 2014

Nights spent by foreign tourists in Finland up by 5.5 per cent in December 2013

The number of recorded nights spent by foreign tourists at Finnish accommodation establishments in December 2013 was 554,000, which was 5.5 per cent more than in December 2012. Overnight stays by resident tourists numbered nearly 790,000. The number was 3.5 per cent lower than one year previously. The total number of overnight stays was nearly the same as last year and altogether good 1.3 million overnight stays were recorded at accommodation establishments in December 2013. 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 2013/2012, %

In December 2013, Russians were the largest group of foreign visitors with nearly 158,000 overnight stays, even though their overnight stays at accommodation establishments decreased by 1.5 per cent from 2012. Britons were next with over 130,000 nights spent and the number grew by 13.7 per cent from the previous year. Good 27,000 nights spent were recorded for German visitors, which was 4.6 per cent more than twelve months earlier. More than 20,000 overnight stays at accommodation establishments were recorded for both Swedish and French visitors. Overnight stays by Swedish visitors increased by 7.5 per cent, and those by visitors from France by 0.9 per cent. Among the most important countries of inbound tourism to Finland, overnight stays by visitors from the Netherlands increased most in December 2013, however. Their total number of overnight stays at accommodation establishments was 11,000, which was 32.0 per cent more than in the year before. In contrast, the strong fall in overnight stays by Estonian visitors continued in December 2013 and 12.0 per cent fewer overnight stays at accommodation establishments were recorded for them than in December 2012. Nights spent by visitors from Italy also decreased strongly, by 21.7 per cent from last year.

By region, the total number of overnight stays in December 2013 increased most in the regions of Kymenlaakso, up by 8.2 per cent, and South Karelia, up by 7.9 per cent. The number of overnight stays in Satakunta increased by 7.3 per cent up and that of nights spent in Etelä-Savo by 6.3 per cent from December 2012. By contrast, overnight stays decreased by 17.8 per cent in Central Finland and by around 14 per cent both in Kanta-Häme and in Åland. The number of overnight stays in the whole country recorded at accommodation establishments in December 2013 was almost at the same level as one year earlier.

Change in overnight stays in December by region 2013 / 2012, %

Nights spent in hotels decreased by 1.1 per cent in December 2013

In December 2013, the total number of nights spent in hotels was good 1.1 million, which was 1.1 per cent fewer than twelve months earlier. Overnight stays recorded for resident tourists at accommodation establishments numbered 663,000 which was 5.1 per cent less than in December 2012. By contrast, overnight stays by foreign tourists increased by 5.0 per cent and accommodation establishments recorded a total of good 479,000 of them.

The occupancy rate of hotel rooms was 43.4 per cent in December. One year earlier, it was 42.3 per cent. Examined by region, the highest hotel room occupancy rates were recorded in Lapland, 59.1 per cent, and Uusimaa, 51.7 per cent. In Rovaniemi, the hotel room occupancy rate was 80.0 per cent and in Vantaa 62.5 per cent. Hotel room occupancy rate in Helsinki was 55.3 per cent.

In December 2013, the realised average price of a hotel room was EUR 94.58 per day for the whole country. Twelve months previously it was EUR 91.24.

Hotel room occupancy rate and the monthly average price

Total number of nights spent at all accommodation establishments fell by 0.5 per cent in 2013

In 2013, the number of nights spent at accommodation establishments in Finland totalled 20.2 million, which was 0.5 per cent down on the year before. Overnight stays by resident tourists decreased by 1.1 per cent and accommodation establishments recorded nearly 14.4 million of them. Overnight stays by foreign tourists numbered almost 5.9 million, which was 1.1 per cent more than in 2012.

Altogether, 1.6 million nights spent at Finnish accommodation establishments were recorded for Russians, and they were by far the largest group of foreign visitors in 2013. Overnight stays of Russian visitors increased by 7.4 per cent from last year. The second largest group was Swedish visitors. A total of 531,000 overnight stays were recorded for them, which was 1.1 per cent less than in 2012. German visitors made up the third largest group with close on 502,000 overnight stays. Overnight stays by German visitors made a downturn in June and the decrease continued throughout the second half of the year, so in 2013 accommodation establishments recorded 6.1 per cent fewer overnight stays for them than last year. Overnight stays by Estonian visitors have also decreased heavily throughout 2013 and they spent 20.6 per cent fewer nights in Finland than in 2012. By contrast, overnight stays by British visitors have increased throughout the statistical year 2013 and Finnish accommodation establishments recorded 12.5 more overnight stays for them than in 2012. The number of overnight stays by British visitors rose to 456,000. Viewed by continent, the biggest growth came from Asian countries, 17.3 per cent. Among the most important Asian countries of inbound tourism to Finland, overnight stays by visitors from China and Japan increased most. Overnight stays by Chinese tourists increased by 26.4 per cent and those by Japanese tourists by 16.4 per cent.

Change in overnight stays in January-December 2013/2012, %

Source: Accommodation Statistics. Statistics Finland

Inquiries: Marjut Tuominen 09 1734 3556, Kari Keränen 09 1734 3208, liikenne.matkailu@stat.fi

Director in charge: Hannele Orjala

Publication in pdf-format (390.9 kB)

Tables

Tables in databases

Pick the data you need into tables, view the data as graphs, or download the data for your use.

• Database tables and their variables
• Archived tables

Appendix tables

• Appendix table 1.1. Capacity and its utilization, December 2013 (20.2.2014)
• Appendix table 1.2. Capacity and its utilization, January-December 2013 (20.2.2014)
• Appendix table 2.1. Nights spend in all establishments, December 2013 (20.2.2014)
• Appendix table 2.2. Nights spend in all establishments, January-December 2013 (20.2.2014)
• Appendix table 3.1. Hotel capacity and capacity utilization, December 2013 (20.2.2014)
• Appendix table 3.2. Hotel capacity and capacity utilization, January-December 2013 (20.2.2014)
• Appendix table 4.1. Nights spend in hotels, December 2013 (20.2.2014)
• Appendix table 4.2. Nights spend in hotels, January-December 2013 (20.2.2014)
• Appendix table 5.1. Visitor arrivals and nights spend by country of residence, December 2013 (20.2.2014)
• Appendix table 5.2. Visitor arrivals and nights spend by country of residence, January-December 2013 (20.2.2014)
• Appendix table 6. Nights spend in all establishments, 2013 (20.2.2014)

---

Updated 20.2.2014