Home > Statistics > Accommodation statistics > 2014 > February > Nights spent by foreign tourists in Finland down by 4.5 per cent in February 2014

Published: 17 April 2014

Nights spent by foreign tourists in Finland down by 4.5 per cent in February 2014

The number of recorded nights spent by foreign tourists at Finnish accommodation establishments in February 2014 was 403,000, which was 4.5 per cent fewer than in February 2013. Overnight stays by resident tourists numbered slightly more than one million. The number was 0.5 per cent lower than in February 2013. The total number of overnight stays decreased by 1.7 per cent from the year before. Accommodation establishments recorded a total of good 1.4 million of them in February 2014. 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 February 2014/2013, %

The growth in the number of nights spent by Russian tourists at accommodation establishments in Finland halted in January, and in February, as much as 11.3 per cent fewer overnight stays were recorded for them compared to one year earlier. However, Russians were the largest group of foreign tourists with nearly 73,000 overnight stays. British tourists came next with good 43,000 nights spent, even though the figure went down by 12.9 per cent from the previous year. Altogether, 39,000 overnight stays were recorded for German tourists and 32,000 for French visitors. Nights spent by visitors from both countries decreased by around 2.5 per cent from last year. Nights spent by visitors from almost all the most important countries of inbound tourism to Finland declined in February 2014. The biggest drops were recorded for Spanish tourists, whose overnight stays decreased by good one-quarter and for Norwegian visitors that spent one-fifth fewer nights in Finland than in February 2013. By contrast, the strong growth in overnight stays by Chinese visitors continued in February 2014 and 25.0 per cent more overnight stays at accommodation establishments were recorded for them than in February 2013.

By region, the total number of overnight stays in February 2014 increased most in Kainuu, up by 11.3 per cent, and Etelä-Savo, up by 6.4 per cent. The number of overnight stays in North Karelia increased by 4.6 per cent and that of nights spent in Päijät-Häme by 4.4 per cent from February 2013. By contrast, overnight stays decreased by 24.7 per cent in Åland and by 13.2 per cent in Kymenlaakso. Overnight stays in the whole country dropped by 1.7 per cent from last year.

Change in overnight stays in February by region 2014 / 2013, %

Nights spent in hotels decreased by 2.3 per cent in February 2014

In February 2014, the total number of nights spent in hotels was good 1.2 million, which was 2.3 per cent fewer than twelve months earlier. Overnight stays recorded for resident tourists at accommodation establishments numbered 849,000, which was 1.2 per cent fewer than in February 2013. Overnight stays by foreign tourists decreased by 4.7 per cent and hotels recorded a total of 353,000 of them.

The occupancy rate of hotel rooms was 49.2 per cent in February. One year earlier, it was 50.5 per cent. Examined by region, the highest hotel room occupancy rates were recorded in Lapland, 60.5 per cent, and Uusimaa, 54.1 per cent. In Rovaniemi, the hotel room occupancy rate was 81.5 per cent and in Vantaa 72.9 per cent. The hotel room occupancy rate in Helsinki was 56.6 per cent.

In February 2014, the realised average price of a hotel room was EUR 93.28 per day for the whole country. Twelve months previously, it was EUR 92.36.

Hotel room occupancy rate and the monthly average price

Total number of nights spent at all accommodation establishments remained at last year's level in early 2014

Between January and February 2014, the number of nights spent at accommodation establishments in Finland totalled 2.8 million, which was almost the same as in the respective period of last year. Overnight stays by resident tourists increased by 0.4 per cent and accommodation establishments recorded nearly 1.8 million of them. Overnight stays by foreign tourists numbered one million, which was 0.9 per cent fewer than in January to February 2013.

Altogether, 383,000 nights spent at Finnish accommodation establishments were recorded for Russians, and they were by far the largest group of foreign visitors in January to February 2014. Overnight stays of Russian visitors decreased by 2.7 per cent from the respective time period of last year. The second largest group was British visitors. Nearly 85,000 overnight stays were recorded for them, which was 10.3 per cent fewer than in January to February 2013. German visitors made up the third largest group with close on 68,000 overnight stays. Overnight stays by German visitors made a downturn in June 2013 and the decrease continues, so in early 2014 accommodation establishments recorded 5.3 per cent fewer overnight stays for them than one year earlier. Overnight stays by Spanish tourists decreased heavily in January to February, and they spent 16.1 per cent fewer nights at Finnish accommodation establishments than in the corresponding period last year. Japanese visitors spent 12.7 per cent fewer nights and Finnish accommodation establishments recorded nearly 36,000 overnight stays for them. Among the most important countries of inbound tourism to Finland, overnight stays by Chinese visitors increased most in early 2014, or by as much as 36.8 per cent.

Change in overnight stays in January-February 2014/2013, %

Source: Accommodation Statistics. 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 1.1. Capacity and its utilization, February 2014 (17.4.2014)
• Appendix table 1.2. Capacity and its utilization, January-February 2014 (17.4.2014)
• Appendix table 2.1. Nights spend in all establishments, February 2014 (17.4.2014)
• Appendix table 2.2. Nights spend in all establishments, January-February 2014 (17.4.2014)
• Appendix table 3.1. Hotel capacity and capacity utilization, February 2014 (17.4.2014)
• Appendix table 3.2. Hotel capacity and capacity utilization, January-February 2014 (17.4.2014)
• Appendix table 4.1. Nights spend in hotels, February 2014 (17.4.2014)
• Appendix table 4.2. Nights spend in hotels, January-February 2014 (17.4.2014)
• Appendix table 5.1. Visitor arrivals and nights spend by country of residence, February 2014 (17.4.2014)
• Appendix table 5.2. Visitor arrivals and nights spend by country of residence, January-February 2014 (17.4.2014)
• Appendix table 6. Nights spend in all establishments, 2014 (17.4.2014)

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Updated 17.4.2014