Home > Statistics > Accommodation statistics > 2016 > August > Nights spent by resident tourists increased by 2.3 per cent in August 2016

Published: 20 October 2016

Nights spent by resident tourists increased by 2.3 per cent in August 2016

Overnight stays by resident tourists increased by 2.3 per cent in August from last year and Finnish accommodation establishments recorded good 1.5 million of them. The number of nights spent by foreign tourists grew by 1.5 per cent and totalled nearly 668,000. A total of nearly 2.2 million overnight stays were recorded at Finnish accommodation establishments in August 2016, which was 2.1 per cent more than in August 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 August 2016/2015, %

Nights spent by visitors from almost all the most important countries of inbound tourism to Finland increased in August. Germans were the largest group of foreign visitors at Finnish accommodation establishments in August with 81,000 nights spent. Their overnight stays increased by 5.4 per cent from the year before. Russian visitors came next. Good 79,000 overnight stays were recorded for them at Finnish accommodation establishments, which was, however, 12.7 per cent lower than in August 2015. Swedes came third with good 76,000 nights spent, which was 6.1 per cent more than twelve months earlier. The number of overnight stays by British visitors was good 31,000, although, in addition to Russia, they were the only one of the most important countries of inbound tourism to Finland, whose overnight stays declined in August. The number of nights they spent at Finnish accommodation establishments was 5.4 per cent lower than one year earlier.

Besides Chinese visitors, the biggest growth percentages were recorded for tourists from the Netherlands, the United States and Norway. Overnight stays by Dutch visitors increased by 11.5 per cent and those by visitors from the USA by 9.2 per cent year-on-year. Overnight stays by Norwegians grew by 7.6 per cent. Nearly 30,000 overnight stays were recorded for tourists from the United States, while overnight stays by both Dutch and Norwegian visitors remained under 20,000.

Tourism from Asia has grown throughout the current year, but in August, overnight stays by Asians made a slight downturn of 3.5 per cent. The decrease came mostly from overnight stays by Thai visitors, of which 41.7 per cent fewer were recorded at accommodation establishments than one year earlier. Overnight stays by visitors from Thailand stayed at around 10,000 nights. However, overnight stays by Chinese tourists rose to 35,000, which was 15.3 per cent up on August 2015. Nearly 28,000 overnight stays were recorded for Japanese visitors at accommodation establishments. Their overnight stays increased by 4.5 per cent from the year before.

By region, the total number of overnight stays at accommodation establishments increased in August most in the regions of Central Finland, up by 12.6 per cent, and Etelä-Savo, up by 12.5 per cent. In South Karelia and Lapland, overnight stays increased by around 10 per cent in both regions. The biggest drop in overnight stays was recorded in Satakunta, 17.4 per cent, and the number of overnight stays recorded in Ostrobothnia was 15.5 per cent lower than over year earlier. Overnight stays in the whole country increased by 2.1 per cent from last year.

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

Hotel stays increased by 2.9 per cent in August year-on-year

In August 2016, the total number of nights spent in hotels was good 1.6 million, which was 2.9 per cent higher than twelve months earlier. Overnight stays by resident tourists rose to 1.1 million, which was 2.7 per cent more than in August 2015. Nearly 521,000 overnight stays were recorded for foreign tourists. The number was 3.4 per cent higher than one year previously.

The occupancy rate of hotel rooms in the whole country was 59.8 per cent in August. One year earlier, it was 57.7 per cent. Among the regions, the highest occupancy rates of hotel rooms were measured in Uusimaa, 77.9 per cent, and South Karelia, 65.5 per cent. In Vantaa, the hotel room occupancy rate rose to 78.4 per cent and in Lappeenranta to 78.1 per cent. The hotel room occupancy rate in Helsinki was 84.1 per cent.

In August, the realised average price of a hotel room was EUR 93.82 per day for the whole country. Twelve months previously, it was EUR 90.28.

Hotel room occupancy rate and the monthly average price

Total number of nights spent at all accommodation establishments grew by 1.7 per cent in January to August

Between January and August 2016, the number of nights spent at accommodation establishments in Finland totalled good 14 million. This was 1.7 per cent higher than in the corresponding period one year earlier. Overnight stays by both resident and non-resident tourists increased by 1.7 per cent each. Nearly 10.4 million overnight stays were recorded for resident tourists and just close on four million overnight stays were recorded for non-resident tourists.

The number of nights spent by Russian visitors at accommodation establishments in Finland totalled 494,000 in January to August, which was 17.6 per cent down on the respective period of last year. They were still the largest group of foreign visitors in January to August, as German visitors came next with nearly 421,000 overnight stays. The number of nights spent by Germans remained on level with the previous year. The third largest group was Swedish tourists for whom accommodation establishments recorded close on 413,000 nights spent. Their overnight stays decreased by only 0.2 per cent from the respective period of last year.

British visitors spent nearly 251,000 nights at accommodation establishments and French tourists 182,000. Nights spent by British tourists went down by 1.9 per cent, whereas those spent by French tourists went up by 8.1 per cent in January to August 2016. Overnight stays by visitors from the United States and Spain both increased by 14 to 15 per cent from one year before. Visitors from the United States stayed at accommodation establishments 167,000 nights, while 82,000 overnight stays were recorded for Spanish visitors. Good 139,000 nights were recorded for Japanese visitors and the growth amounted to 7.3 per cent compared to the corresponding period of the previous year.

Among the most important countries of inbound tourism to Finland, overnight stays by Chinese visitors increased most during the January to August period. Nights spent by Chinese visitors rose to 155,000, which was one-fifth more than in the same period twelve months earlier.

Change in overnight stays in January-August 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

Publication in pdf-format (368.6 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, August 2016 (20.10.2016)
• Appendix table 1.2. Capacity and its utilization, January-August 2016 (20.10.2016)
• Appendix table 2.1. Nights spent in all establishments, August 2016 (20.10.2016)
• Appendix table 2.2. Nights spent in all establishments, January-August 2016 (20.10.2016)
• Appendix table 3.1. Hotel capacity and capacity utilization, August 2016 (20.10.2016)
• Appendix table 3.2. Hotel capacity and capacity utilization, January-August 2016 (20.10.2016)
• Appendix table 4.1. Nights spent in hotels, August 2016 (20.10.2016)
• Appendix table 4.2. Nights spent in hotels, January-August 2016 (20.10.2016)
• Appendix table 5.1. Visitor arrivals and nights spent by country of residence, August 2016 (20.10.2016)
• Appendix table 5.2. Visitor arrivals and nights spent by country of residence, January-August 2016 (20.10.2016)
• Appendix table 6. Nights spent in all establishments, 2016 (20.10.2016)

---

Updated 20.10.2016