Home > Statistics > Finnish Travel > 2015 > Spring (1.1.-30.4) > Finns travelled more in spring 2015 than one year ago

Published: 8 June 2015

Finns travelled more in spring 2015 than one year ago

According to Statistics Finland's preliminary data, Finnish residents made more trips in the home country during spring than one year ago. Eighteen per cent more domestic trips with paid accommodation were made than one year earlier. Among destinations in Northern Finland, the popularity of North Ostrobothnia increased and that of Lapland decreased. When travelling abroad, Italy and Great Britain interested more than one year ago. Leisure trips abroad increased only marginally compared with the corresponding period last year.

Finns' leisure trips in January to April 2003 to 2015*

In the first four months of 2015, Finnish residents aged 15 to 84 made 11.4 million trips when all domestic and foreign leisure trips, as well as business and professional trips are included. In addition to trips with overnight stay, the number also includes same-day trips abroad.

Altogether, 7.3 million domestic leisure trips with overnight stay were made in the January to April period. Of these, 5.5 million were trips with free accommodation. Trips with overnight stay at paid accommodation numbered 1.8 million and their most population destinations were in Uusimaa, Lapland, North Ostrobothnia and Pirkanmaa. The number of trips with paid accommodation recorded in the statistics was 18 per cent higher than in January to April of the previous year. The number of trips to Uusimaa increased by 31 per cent, to North Ostrobothnia by 62 per cent and to Pirkanmaa by 42 per cent. The number of trips to Lapland decreased by 13 per cent.

February was the most popular month for travelling in the early part of the year, as then, 571,000 domestic trips with paid accommodation were made. Of the trips in February, 13 per cent were made to North Ostrobothnia and nine per cent to Lapland.

Inclusive of trips with overnight stay in the destination country, cruises and same-day trips, leisure trips abroad numbered 2.5 million in the January to April period. The number of trips increased by good two per cent from January to April in 2014. A total of 1,824,000 leisure trips abroad included overnight stay in the destination country. In January to April, 375,000 cruises with overnight stay on board only were made. Same-day trips abroad numbered 264,000 in January to April. Of these, two out of three were day cruises to Estonia.

Leisure trips to Estonia and Sweden increased from spring 2014. In the first four months of 2015, leisure trips numbered 709,000 to Estonia and 466,000 to Sweden.

Tourism to Russia continued to contract as trips to Russia with overnight stay in the destination country declined by 26 per cent.

In the early part of the year, 243,000 trips were headed to Spain, of which 65 per cent to the Canary Islands. Altogether, 76,000 trips were made to the warmth in Thailand. The number of trips to the Canary Islands decreased by 21 per cent and to Thailand by 22 per cent from the corresponding period of the previous year.

Trips to Italy were of higher interest to Finns than before. Last year, the number of trips to Italy increased by 22 per cent and in early 2015, the number of trips increased by another 22 per cent. The number of trips to Great Britain increased by 40 per cent in the early part of 2015 from the corresponding period in 2014.

When only examining trips with overnight stay in the destination country, close on two per cent more of such trips were made than in last year's January to April period. April was the most popular month for these trips in the early part of the year, as then the number of trips abroad with overnight stay in the destination country was 606,000. Almost one-quarter of the trips with overnight stay in the destination country were headed to Estonia, 12 per cent to the northern coast of the Mediterranean, and nine per cent to the Canary Islands.

In addition to leisure trips, 1.1 million domestic business or professional trips were made. Business or professional trips abroad (inclusive of trips with overnight stay in the destination country, cruises and same-day trips) numbered 0.6 million. Domestic business trips went down by ten per cent and business trips abroad by one per cent from the corresponding period last year.

These data derive from Statistics Finland's Finnish Travel survey for which altogether 5,225 persons aged 15 to 84 were interviewed in February, March, April and May. Until 2011, data were collected from those aged 15 to 74.

Source: Finnish Travel, Statistics Finland

Inquiries: Taru Tamminen 029 551 2243, Mervi Härkönen 029 551 3254, liikenne.matkailu@stat.fi

Director in charge: Hannele Orjala

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Appendix tables

• Appendix table 1. Trips of Finnish residents and changes in them in January-April 2015* (8.6.2015)
• Appendix table 2. Domestic leisure trips by destination region in January-April 2015* (8.6.2015)
• Appendix table 3. Means of transport used on domestic trips in January-April 2015* (8.6.2015)
• Appendix table 4. Leisure trips abroad (overnight in destination country) by destination in January-April 2015* and 2014 (8.6.2015)
• Appendix table 5. Trips abroad by reason and destination in January-April 2015* 1) (8.6.2015)
• Appendix table 6. Trips to Sweden and Estonia in January-April 2015* and 2014 (8.6.2015)

Quality descriptions

• Quality description: Finnish Travel 2015 (8.6.2015)

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Updated 8.6.2015