Home > Statistics > Accommodation statistics > 2014 > March > Nights spent by resident tourists decreased by 7.7 per cent in March 2014

Published: 15 May 2014

Nights spent by resident tourists decreased by 7.7 per cent in March 2014

The number of recorded nights spent by resident tourists at Finnish accommodation establishments in March 2014 was nearly 1.2 million, which was 7.7 per cent lower than one year earlier. Overnight stays by foreign tourists at accommodation establishments numbered close on 456,000. The number was 2.6 per cent lower than in March 2013. The total number of overnight stays decreased by 6.3 per cent from the year before. Accommodation establishments recorded good 1.6 million of them in March 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 March 2014/2013, %

Overnight stays by Russians have turned to a sharp decline and in March, nearly 109,000 overnight stays were recorded for them, which is 14.1 per cent down from the year before. However, Russians were by far the largest group of foreign tourists in March 2014. Germans came next with good 44,000 nights spent and they had 3.5 per cent more overnight stays at accommodation establishments than in March 2013. More than 30,000 overnight stays at accommodation establishments were recorded for both Swedish and British visitors. Overnight stays by Swedes increased by six per cent from the year before, while the number of nights spent by British tourists decreased by around 14 per cent, similarly as for Russians. The overnight stays of French and Japanese visitors also showed a strong decrease. Overnight stays recorded at accommodation establishments for French visitors totalled close on 27,000, which was 16.2 per cent down from one year before. Nearly 18,000 overnight stays were recorded for Japanese visitors. This was 15.3 per cent lower than one year earlier. However, the biggest decrease was recorded for Spanish tourists, whose overnight stays went down by 18.9 per cent from the year before. By contrast, the number of overnight stays by Norwegians increased strongly in March 2014 and one-fifth more overnight stays at accommodation establishments were recorded for them than in March 2013.

By region, the total number of overnight stays increased in March only in South Ostrobothnia, up by 2.8 per cent. The number of nights spent in Ostrobothnia remained on level with the previous year. In all other regions, the numbers of overnight stays went down in March 2014. The biggest decreases in overnight stays were recorded in Central Finland, 21.3 per cent, and in Åland, 16.8 per cent. Overnight stays in Pirkanmaa, Päijät-Häme and Central Ostrobothnia diminished by 10 to 11 per cent from last year. Kanta-Häme, Kymenlaakso and South Karelia each lost nine per cent of nights spent compared with March 2013. Overnight stays in the whole country dropped by 6.3 per cent from the year before.

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

Nights spent in hotels decreased by 6.4 per cent in March 2014

In March 2014, the total number of nights spent in hotels was just under 1.4 million, which was 6.4 per cent lower than twelve months earlier. Overnight stays recorded for resident tourists at accommodation establishments numbered 953,000, which was 7.8 per cent lower than in March 2013. Overnight stays by foreign tourists decreased by 2.7 per cent and hotels recorded a total of 399,000 of them.

The occupancy rate of hotel rooms in the whole country was 52.3 per cent in March. One year earlier, it was 52.8 per cent. Examined by region, the highest hotel room occupancy rates were recorded in Lapland, 67.1 per cent, and Uusimaa, 58.6 per cent. In Kittilä, the hotel room occupancy rate was 81.6 per cent and in Rovaniemi, it rose to 71.2 per cent. The hotel room occupancy rate in Helsinki was 63.2 per cent.

In March 2014, the realised average price of a hotel room was EUR 94.21 per day for the whole country. Twelve months previously it was EUR 94.88.

Hotel room occupancy rate and the monthly average price

Total number of nights spent at all accommodation establishments fell by 2.4 per cent in January to March 2014

Over January to March 2014, the number of nights spent at accommodation establishments in Finland totalled 4.4 million, which was 2.4 per cent down from the corresponding period of last year. Overnight stays by resident tourists decreased by 2.8 per cent and accommodation establishments recorded just close on three million of them. Overnight stays by foreign tourists numbered almost 1.5 million, which was 1.4 per cent lower than in January to March 2013.

Nearly 492,000 nights spent at Finnish accommodation establishments were recorded for Russians, and they were by far the largest group of foreign visitors in January to March 2014. The growth in Russians' overnight stays at Finnish accommodation establishments halted in January and the decrease in nights spent that started in February continued through March. In the January to March period, 5.5 per cent fewer overnight stays at accommodation establishments were recorded for Russians than in the corresponding period of last year. The second largest group was British visitors. A total of 115,000 overnight stays were recorded for them, which was 11.2 per cent lower than in January to March 2013. German visitors made up the third largest group with good 112,000 overnight stays. The decrease in overnight stays at accommodation establishments that started for them in June 2013 ended in March, but 1.9 per cent fewer overnight stays were still recorded for them in January to March 2014 than one year earlier. Overnight stays by Spanish visitors still decreased strongly in January to March and their stays went down by 17.1 per cent from the corresponding period of twelve months earlier. Overnight stays by Japanese tourists declined by 13.7 per cent and good 53,000 nights were recorded for them at Finnish accommodation establishments. Among the most important countries of inbound tourism to Finland, overnight stays by Chinese visitors increased most, or by 21.8 per cent, during the January to March period.

Change in overnight stays in January-March 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

Publication in pdf-format (385.8 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, March 2014 (15.5.2014)
• Appendix table 1.2. Capacity and its utilization, January-March 2014 (15.5.2014)
• Appendix table 2.1. Nights spend in all establishments, March 2014 (15.5.2014)
• Appendix table 2.2. Nights spend in all establishments, January-March 2014 (15.5.2014)
• Appendix table 3.1. Hotel capacity and capacity utilization, March 2014 (15.5.2014)
• Appendix table 3.2. Hotel capacity and capacity utilization, January-March 2014 (15.5.2014)
• Appendix table 4.1. Nights spend in hotels, March 2014 (15.5.2014)
• Appendix table 4.2. Nights spend in hotels, January-March 2014 (15.5.2014)
• Appendix table 5.1. Visitor arrivals and nights spend by country of residence, March 2014 (15.5.2014)
• Appendix table 5.2. Visitor arrivals and nights spend by country of residence, January-March 2014 (15.5.2014)
• Appendix table 6. Nights spend in all establishments, 2014 (15.5.2014)

---

Updated 15.5.2014