Home > Statistics > Accommodation statistics > 2014 > October > Nights spent by foreign tourists in Finland decreased by 1.8 per cent in October

Published: 18 December 2014

Nights spent by foreign tourists in Finland decreased by 1.8 per cent in October

The number of recorded nights spent by foreign tourists at Finnish accommodation establishments in October 2014 was 309,000, which was 1.8 per cent fewer than in October 2013. By contrast, overnight stays by resident tourists went up by 1.3 per cent and totalled nearly 1.1 million. The total number of overnight stays was just under 1.4 million. The number was almost the same as in October 2013; growth only amounted to 0.6 per cent. 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 October 2014/2013, %

The steep decline in overnight stays by Russian visitors continued in October. Altogether, close on 54,000 overnight stays were recorded for them at Finnish accommodation establishments, which was as much as 27.9 per cent lower than one year before. However, Russians were still the largest group of foreign tourists in October 2014. Swedish tourists came next with 34,000 nights spent, with an increase of 8.5 per cent from the previous year. Altogether 24,000 overnight stays were recorded for German visitors, and they made up the third largest group of foreign tourists. Overnight stays by German tourists increased by 4.7 per cent compared with October 2013. Overnight stays recorded at accommodation establishments for British visitors totalled 19,000, which was 0.6 per cent less than one year before.

Overnight stays by Estonian visitors increased most in October. A total of 16,500 overnight stays were recorded for them, and the growth from October 2013 amounted to 23.2 per cent. Overall, 11,000 to 12,500 nights were recorded for visitors from Norway and the USA. Overnight stays by Norwegian visitors increased by 13.0 per cent and those by visitors from the USA by 8.3 per cent year-on-year. By contrast, overnight stays recorded for Japanese visitors decreased by 5.2 per cent and totalled 13,000.

By region, the total number of overnight stays increased in October most in Ostrobothnia, up by 17.2 per cent. Kanta-Häme came next with 12.3 per cent. In Uusimaa, overnight stays increased by 5.7 per cent and in North Ostrobothnia and Päijät-Häme by close on five per cent. The biggest decreases in overnight stays were recorded in Kymenlaakso, 13.1 per cent, and in South Karelia, 11.9 per cent. In Lapland, overnight stays contracted by 10.9 per cent. Overnight stays in the whole country increased by 0.6 per cent from last year.

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

Overnight stays in hotels increased by 1.1 per cent in October 2014

In October 2014, the total number of nights spent in hotels was good 1.2 million, which was 1.1 per cent higher than twelve months earlier. Overnight stays by resident tourists increased by 1.5 per cent and accommodation establishments recorded nearly 938,000 of them. Overnight stays by foreign tourists remained on level with the previous year and hotels recorded 280,000 of them.

The occupancy rate of hotel rooms in the whole country was 50.7 per cent in October. One year earlier, it was 49.2 per cent. Among the regions, the highest occupancy rates of hotel rooms were measured in Uusimaa, 65.1 per cent, and Pirkanmaa, 59.1 per cent. In Vantaa, the hotel room occupancy rate rose to 70.7 per cent and in Tampere to 66.4 per cent. Hotel room occupancy rate in Helsinki was 71.8 per cent.

In October, the realised average price of a hotel room was EUR 91.17 per day for the whole country. Twelve months previously, it was EUR 90.01.

Hotel room occupancy rate and the monthly average price

Total number of nights spent at all accommodation establishments fell by 2.1 per cent in January to October

Between January and October 2014, the number of nights spent at accommodation establishments in Finland totalled 17.2 million. This was 2.1 per cent lower than in the corresponding period one year earlier. Overnight stays by resident tourists decreased by 2.2 per cent and accommodation establishments recorded 12.3 million of them. Overnight stays by foreign tourists numbered 4.8 million, which was 1.8 per cent fewer than in January to October 2013.

Between January and October 2014, the number of nights spent by Russian visitors at accommodation establishments in Finland totalled close on 1.2 million, which was 12.4 per cent down on the respective time period of last year. Russians were still, by far, the largest group of foreign visitors in January to October, while Swedish visitors came next with 480,000 overnight stays. The overnight stays of Swedish visitors increased by 0.5 per cent from the respective time period of last year. German visitors made up the third largest group with 444,000 overnight stays. The number of nights recorded for them at Finnish accommodation establishments was 1.2 per cent fewer than one year earlier.

Overnight stays by British tourists decreased by 4.7 per cent from the corresponding period last year and amounted to 288,000. Among the most important countries of inbound tourism into Finland, overnight stays of visitors from the United States increased most, or by 9.3 per cent, and 182,000 overnight stays were recorded for them in January to October. Overnight stays by Estonian visitors increased by 8.1 per cent and those by Spanish visitors by 4.4 per cent. By contrast, overnight stays of Japanese visitors decreased by 6.4 per cent from the respective time period of last year.

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

Source: Accommodation Statistics. Statistics Finland

Inquiries: Marjut Tuominen 029 551 3556, Kari Keränen 029 551 3208, liikenne.matkailu@stat.fi

Director in charge: Hannele Orjala

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Appendix tables

• Appendix table 1.1. Capacity and its utilization, October 2014 (18.12.2014)
• Appendix table 1.2. Capacity and its utilization, January-October 2014 (18.12.2014)
• Appendix table 2.1. Nights spend in all establishments, October 2014 (18.12.2014)
• Appendix table 2.2. Nights spend in all establishments, January-October 2014 (18.12.2014)
• Appendix table 3.1. Hotel capacity and capacity utilization, October 2014 (18.12.2014)
• Appendix table 3.2. Hotel capacity and capacity utilization, January-October 2014 (18.12.2014)
• Appendix table 4.1. Nights spend in hotels, October 2014 (18.12.2014)
• Appendix table 4.2. Nights spend in hotels, January-October 2014 (18.12.2014)
• Appendix table 5.1. Visitor arrivals and nights spend by country of residence, October 2014 (18.12.2014)
• Appendix table 5.2. Visitor arrivals and nights spend by country of residence, January-October 2014 (18.12.2014)
• Appendix table 6. Nights spend in all establishments, 2014 (18.12.2014)

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Updated 18.12.2014