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Published: 5 December 2018

Nights spent by foreign tourists in Finland up by 6.0 per cent in October

After a small drop in the summer season, the number of overnight stays by foreign visitors started to grow again in October 2018. Nearly 390,000 overnight stays were recorded for them at Finnish accommodation establishments, which was 6.0 per cent more than one year before. The number of nights spent by resident tourists went up by 1.5 per cent and totalled almost 1.2 million at accommodation establishments. In all, slightly under 1.6 million overnight stays were recorded at Finnish accommodation establishments, which was 2.6 per cent more than in October 2017. 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 October 2018/2017, %

Russia, Sweden and Germany continued as the biggest countries of inbound tourism in October

The top three vary their order monthly but they clearly stand out from the others. Russians were the largest group of foreign tourists with good 42,500 overnight stays in October. Their overnight stays increased by 6.5 per cent from the year before. Swedes came second and a total of nearly 37,000 overnight stays at Finnish accommodation establishments were recorded for them. However, the number was 2.3 per cent lower than one year earlier. Germans came third with close on 32,000 overnight stays. Their number of overnight stays was 8.2 per cent higher than in October 2017. Visitors from the United States mentioned below took the fourth position.

Overnight stays by visitors from the USA and Italy increased most in October

Finnish accommodation establishments recorded close on 21,000 overnight stays for tourists from the United States and 8,500 for Italians in October 2018. The number of nights spent by tourists from the United States increased by 35.3 per cent and those by Italians by 20.9 per cent from October last year. In addition to visitors from the United States, tourists from Great Britain, China and Estonia reached over 20,000 overnight stays. Overnight stays by Chinese tourists by 10.7 per cent and those by Estonian tourists by 4.7 per cent from October last year. In contrast, overnight stays by British tourists decreased a little, by 0.9 per cent from last year.

The biggest decreases in overnight stays among the most important countries of inbound tourism to Finland came from Japan and Spain in October 2018. Visits of both decreased by 10 per cent from last year's October. Overnight stays recorded for Japanese visitors at accommodation establishments numbered 16,000, while overnight stays by Spanish tourists stood at 7,500.

Examined by region, the total number of overnight stays increased in October most in Central Ostrobothnia, by 16.8 per cent. In Lapland, overnight stays increased by 10.5 per cent. Overnight stays increased by 10 per cent in both Päijät-Häme and Kainuu. By contrast, the total number of overnight stays decreased strongly in Kymenlaakso, by 26.7 per cent. In Åland, overnight stays contracted by 9.6 per cent. In the whole country, the number of overnight stays increased in total by 2.6 per cent from October 2017.

Change in overnight stays in October by region 2018/2017, %

Overnight stays at hotels increased by 2.8 per cent in October

In October 2018, the total number of nights spent at hotels was close on 1.4 million, which was 2.8 per cent more than twelve months earlier. Overnight stays by foreign tourists increased by 6.7 per cent and hotels recorded slightly under 350,000 of them. Overnight stays by resident tourists increased by 1.6 per cent and around one million overnight stays were recorded for them in October 2018.

The occupancy rate of hotel rooms was 53.8 per cent in October. One year earlier, it was 53.3 per cent. Among the regions, the highest occupancy rates of hotel rooms were measured in Uusimaa, 70.6 per cent, and Pirkanmaa, 60.7 per cent. In Vantaa, the hotel room occupancy rate was 67.9 per cent and in Tampere 65.8 per cent. The hotel room occupancy rate in Helsinki was 78.5 per cent.

In October 2018, the realised average price of a hotel room was EUR 99.04 per day for the whole country. Twelve months previously, it was EUR 98.88.

Hotel room occupancy rate and the monthly average price

Total number of nights spent at all accommodation establishments went up by 1.2 per cent in the January to October period 2018

In January to October 2018, the number of nights spent at accommodation establishments in Finland totalled nearly 19 million. This was 1.2 per cent higher than in the corresponding period one year earlier. Nearly 13.4 million overnight stays were recorded at accommodation establishments for resident tourists and 5.6 million overnight stays for non-resident tourists. The overnight stays of resident visitors increased by 1.5 per cent and those of non-resident visitors by 0.7 per cent from the previous year's corresponding period.

Russian were still in the lead. The number of overnight stays recorded for them at accommodation establishments in Finland was good 680,000 in January to October 2018, which was almost the same number as in the respective period of 2017, up by just 0.3 per cent. Germans came next. The number of nights spent by Germans remained on level with the previous year, down by just 0.1 per cent and accommodation establishments recorded a total of 554,000 overnight stays for them. Swedish tourists continued in the third position with 498,000 overnight stays. However, their number was 6.9 per cent lower than in January to October 2017. British tourists came fourth and accommodation establishments recorded nearly 353,000 overnight stays for them, which was 2.9 per cent down on the respective period of last year. Chinese visitors kept their fifth position and nearly 280,000 nights were recorded for them. The figure was 4.1 per cent higher than in the corresponding period one year previously. Visitors from the United States rose to the sixth largest group surpassing French tourists and around 249,000 overnight stays were recorded for them, which was 5.1 per cent more than in January to October 2017.

Among the most important countries of inbound tourism to Finland, overnight stays by Dutch and Spanish visitors increased most in January to October 2018. Nights spent by Dutch visitors numbered almost 216,000, which was 8.9 per cent more than in the same period twelve months earlier. Nearly 129,000 overnight stays were recorded for Spanish tourists. The number was 7.7 per cent higher than in January to October 2017. The biggest drop came still from overnight stays by Japanese visitors. They spent close on 180,000 nights at accommodation establishments, which was 13.0 per cent down on the same period twelve months earlier.

Change in overnight stays in January-October 2018/2017, %

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, October 2018 (5.12.2018)
• Appendix table 1.2. Capacity and its utilization, January-October 2018 (5.12.2018)
• Appendix table 2.1. Nights spent in all establishments, October 2018 (5.12.2018)
• Appendix table 2.2. Nights spent in all establishments, January-October 2018 (5.12.2018)
• Appendix table 3.1. Hotel capacity and capacity utilization, October 2018 (5.12.2018)
• Appendix table 3.2. Hotel capacity and capacity utilization, January-October 2018 (5.12.2018)
• Appendix table 4.1. Nights spent in hotels, October 2018 (5.12.2018)
• Appendix table 4.2. Nights spent in hotels, January-October 2018 (5.12.2018)
• Appendix table 5.1. Visitor arrivals and nights spent by country of residence, October 2018 (5.12.2018)
• Appendix table 5.2. Visitor arrivals and nights spent by country of residence, January-October 2018 (5.12.2018)
• Appendix table 6. Nights spent in all establishments, 2018 (5.12.2018)

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Updated 5.12.2018