Home > Statistics > Accommodation statistics > 2016 > February > Nights spent by foreign tourists in Finland up by 14.6 per cent in February 2016

Published: 14 April 2016

Nights spent by foreign tourists in Finland up by 14.6 per cent in February 2016

Overnight stays by foreign tourists increased by 14.6 per cent at Finnish accommodation establishments from last year and nearly 453,000 nights were recorded for them in February 2016. In contrast, the number of nights spent by resident tourists decreased by 3.4 per cent and they spent good one million nights at accommodation establishments. A total of nearly 1.5 million overnight stays were recorded at Finnish accommodation establishments in February 2016, which was 1.5 per cent more than in February 2015. 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.

Change in overnight stays in February 2016/2015, %

The steep decline in overnight stays by Russian visitors halted in February 2016. Altogether, close on 32,000 overnight stays were recorded for them at Finnish accommodation establishments, which was only 3.1 per cent lower than in February 2015. However, German, British and French tourists exceeded Russians as the largest groups of foreign tourists in February, leaving Russian tourists in the fourth place. Overnight stays at accommodation establishments recorded for German visitors totalled 46,000, which was 7.9 per cent more than one year before. British visitors spent good 45,000 nights at accommodation establishments, which was 7.6 per cent more than in February 2015. French tourists came third with nearly 44,000 overnight stays. The growth from last year amounted to as much as 20.7 per cent.

However, the biggest growth percentages in February came from China, the Netherlands and Italy. Overnight stays by Chinese visitors increased by 35.8 per cent and those by Dutch and Italian visitors by 32 to 33 per cent year-on-year. Dutch visitors had good 28,000 overnight stays and Chinese tourists 13,000. Overnight stays by Italians rose to nearly 10,000. Compared with February 2015, overnight stays by Japanese and Spanish visitors increased by over one-fifth. A total of 21,000 overnight stays were recorded for Japanese visitors, while Spanish tourists had good 7,000 overnight stays. Among the most important countries of inbound tourism to Finland, overnight stays by Swedish visitors decreased in addition to Russians in February 2016. Nearly 25,000 overnight stays were recorded for them, which was 5.3 per cent lower than one year before.

By region, the total number of overnight stays at accommodation establishments increased in February most in Kanta-Häme, up by 14.4 per cent. In Lapland and Central Ostrobothnia, overnight stays increased by 13 per cent in both regions. In Ostrobothnia, the growth in the number of nights spent was 11.7 per cent and in Satakunta 10.3 per cent. The biggest drop in overnight stays was recorded in Åland, down by 13.5 per cent. Overnight stays decreased by nine to ten per cent in South Ostrobothnia and North Karelia. In the whole country, overnight stays increased by 1.5 per cent from February 2015.

Change in overnight stays in December by region 2016 / 2015, %

Overnight stays in hotels increased by 2.2 per cent in February

In February 2016, the total number of nights spent in hotels was nearly 1.3 million, which was 2.2 per cent higher than twelve months earlier. Overnight stays by foreign tourists increased by 14.8 per cent and accommodation establishments recorded nearly 403,000 of them. By contrast, the number of recorded nights spent by domestic tourists in hotels totalled 864,000, which was 2.8 per cent fewer than in February 2015.

The occupancy rate of hotel rooms in the whole country was 53.6 per cent in February. One year earlier, it was 51.6 per cent. Examined by region, the highest hotel room occupancy rates were recorded in Lapland, 67.4 per cent, and Uusimaa, 58.9 per cent. In Rovaniemi, the hotel room occupancy rate rose to 87.6 per cent and in Kittilä to 82.3 per cent. The hotel room occupancy rate in Helsinki was 62.0 per cent.

In February, the realised average price of a hotel room was EUR 95.05 per day for the whole country. Twelve months previously, it was EUR 93.99.

Hotel room occupancy rate and the monthly average price

Total number of nights spent at all accommodation establishments went up by 1 per cent in the early part of the year

In January and February 2016, the number of nights spent at accommodation establishments in Finland totalled nearly 2.8 million. This was one per cent up from the year before. The number of nights spent by foreign tourists increased by 9.0 per cent while nights spent by domestic tourists decreased by 2.8 per cent. Close on 1.8 million overnight stays were recorded for resident tourists and nearly 964,000 overnight stays for non-resident tourists.

Nights spent at Finnish accommodation establishments by visitors from all the most important countries of inbound tourism to Finland increased in January to February 2016, with the exception of Russia. Overnight stays by Russian visitors decreased strongly throughout 2015, but the decrease appears to have halted in the early part of 2016. Between January and February, the number of nights spent by Russian visitors at accommodation establishments in Finland totalled good 180,000, which was 14.6 per cent down on the respective time period of last year. They were, however, by far, the largest group of foreign visitors in January to February, as British visitors came next with 93,500 overnight stays. Overnight stays by British tourists went up by 8.2 per cent. German visitors made up the third largest group with close on 81,000 overnight stays. The number of nights recorded for them was 8.6 per cent higher than in the respective period one year earlier.

Visitors from France spent nearly 79,000 nights at accommodation establishments. Their overnight stays increased by 15.7 per cent in early 2016. Dutch and Swedish visitors both spent 50,000 nights. Overnight stays by Dutch tourists increased by as much as 26.5 per cent while those by Swedish tourists grew by 0.5 per cent compared with the corresponding period last year. Overnight stays by Japanese numbered nearly 35,000, which was 14.9 per cent more than one year before. Visitors from Estonia and Switzerland stayed 31,000 to 32,000 nights at accommodation establishments. The overnight stays of Estonians increased by 7.2 per cent and those of Swiss visitors by 13.3 per cent from the previous year's corresponding period.

Among the most important countries of inbound tourism to Finland, overnight stays by Chinese visitors increased most, or by 43.5 per cent, during the January to February period. The number of overnight stays by Chinese visitors rose to good 23,000.

Change in overnight stays in January-February 2016/2015, %

Source: Accommodation Statistics. Statistics Finland

Inquiries: Marjut Tuominen 029 551 3556, Ossi Nurmi 029 551 2984, liikenne.matkailu@stat.fi

Director in charge: Mari Ylä-Jarkko

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Appendix tables

• Appendix table 1.1. Capacity and its utilization, February 2016 (14.4.2016)
• Appendix table 1.2. Capacity and its utilization, January-February 2016 (14.4.2016)
• Appendix table 2.1. Nights spent in all establishments, February 2016 (14.4.2016)
• Appendix table 2.2. Nights spent in all establishments, January-February 2016 (14.4.2016)
• Appendix table 3.1. Hotel capacity and capacity utilization, February 2016 (14.4.2016)
• Appendix table 3.2. Hotel capacity and capacity utilization, January-February 2016 (14.4.2016)
• Appendix table 4.1. Nights spent in hotels, February 2016 (14.4.2016)
• Appendix table 4.2. Nights spent in hotels, January-February 2016 (14.4.2016)
• Appendix table 5.1. Visitor arrivals and nights spent by country of residence, February 2016 (14.4.2016)
• Appendix table 5.2. Visitor arrivals and nights spent by country of residence, January-February 2016 (14.4.2016)
• Appendix table 6. Nights spent in all establishments, 2016 (14.4.2016)

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Updated 14.4.2016