Home > Statistics > Finnish Travel > 2017 > Summer (1.5.-31.8) > Finns travelled in the home country as well as to Southern Europe in the summer of 2017

Published: 4 October 2017

Finns travelled in the home country as well as to Southern Europe in the summer of 2017

According to Statistics Finland’s preliminary data, the number of trips made by Finnish residents remained unchanged in May to August 2017 compared with the previous year in both Finland and abroad. However, particularly in July, Finnish residents travelled to Southern Europe more than one year ago. On the other hand, the number of trips with overnight stay to Estonia was lower than in the previous summer.

Finns' leisure trips by type of trip in May to August 2012 to 2017* (excl. domestic trips with free accommodation)

In the second four months of 2017, Finnish residents aged 15 to 84 made 16.2 million trips when domestic and foreign leisure trips, as well as business and professional trips are included. In addition to trips with overnight stay, same-day trips abroad are also included in the number of trips.

Altogether 11.3 million domestic leisure trips with overnight stay were made in the May to August period. In all, 8.4 million of them were trips with free accommodation, which is the same as in May to August 2016. Leisure trips with overnight stay at paid accommodation numbered 2.9 million and their most population destinations were Uusimaa, Pirkanmaa and Varsinais-Suomi. Uusimaa kept its top position as the region of travel in summer. The number of domestic trips with paid accommodation was equal to that in May to August of the previous year.

As expected, July was the most popular month for travelling in Finland in the summer season, as then, 1.1 million domestic trips with paid accommodation and 2.6 million trips with free accommodation were made. Seventeen per cent of these trips made in July were headed to Uusimaa.

In all, 3.4 million leisure trips were made abroad in May to August. The figure includes trips with overnight stay in the destination country, cruises and same-day trips. A total of 2.7 million leisure trips abroad included overnight stay in the destination country. In all, 0.3 million cruises with overnight stay on board only were made. Nearly all cruises were made to Sweden or Estonia. In May to August, 0.3 million same-day leisure trips were also made. Two-thirds of them were same-day cruises to Estonia.

In summer, leisure trips were made mostly by air or boat. The number of trips by sea was 1.4 million and that of trips by air was 1.5 million. A total of 0.3 million trips were made by car outside the borders of Finland.

July was also the most popular month for travelling abroad during summer. Trips with overnight stay in the destination country grew in total by 20 per cent from July 2016. Trips to Southern Europe increased by over 60 per cent compared with last year's July. An all-time record number of trips were made to the beaches of the Mediterranean in this year's July, 230,000.

Leisure trips to Estonia decreased from summer 2016. Trips with overnight stay in the destination country to our southern neighbour numbered 640,000, overnight cruises 130,000 and same-day cruises 230,000. Same-day cruises increased from the corresponding period last year, while overnight cruises remained unchanged and trips including overnight stay in the destination country went down.

Leisure trips to Sweden also decreased slightly from summer 2016. The number of trips with overnight stay in the destination country to our western neighbour was 380,000 and overnight cruises 190,000 in summer.

Leisure trips to Russia also declined from the corresponding period of the previous year.

Leisure trips made to Central Europe increased. The number of trips made to western Central Europe was 330,000, of which 110,000 headed to the United Kingdom. The number of trips made to eastern Central Europe was 210,000.

From last summer’s cool and often rainy weather in Finland, trips were also made to Southern European destinations with more likely sunshine. A total of 610,000 trips were made to record hot northern Mediterranean countries, which figure was considerably higher than in May to August 2016. The number of trips to Mediterranean favourites, Spain, Italy and Greece, increased by over 20 per cent from the corresponding period in 2016.

Trips with overnight stay in the destination country rose in total slightly more than in last year's May to August period. One-quarter of these trips with overnight stay in the destination country were package tours.

Package tours are no more popular in summer than in any other time of the year. Forty per cent of trips to Estonia with overnight stay in the destination country were package tours. Of trips made to Greece, 81 per cent were package tours. In contrast, only a small part of the trips to Spain and Italy were package tours. Twelve per cent of trips to Spain and 25 per cent of those to Italy were package tours.

Although two in three holiday nights abroad were spent in hotels, people also stay with friends and relatives particularly in summer, because one in six holiday nights spent abroad were at friends and relatives.

Leisure travel is clearly livelier in the summer season than in other times of the year. Considerably more domestic trips with paid accommodation are made during summer, as well as domestic overnight trips with free accommodation. When travelling abroad, the number of trips with overnight stay in the destination country also increased but no peak is visible in the number of cruises and same-day trips during summer, as they are popular all year round.

In addition to leisure trips, close to one 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, but business trips abroad increased from the corresponding period last year.

These data derive from Statistics Finland's Finnish Travel survey for which altogether 4,709 Finnish residents aged 15 to 84 were interviewed in June, July, August and September.

Source: Finnish Travel, Statistics Finland

Inquiries: Taru Tamminen 029 551 2243, Teemu Okkonen 029 551 2634, liikenne.matkailu@stat.fi

Director in charge: Sami Saarikivi

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Appendix tables

• Appendix table 1.1. Trips of Finnish residents and changes in them in May to August 2017* (4.10.2017)
• Appendix table 1.2. Trips of Finnish residents in May to August 2012-2017* (4.10.2017)
• Appendix table 2. Domestic leisure trips by destination region in May to August 2015-2017* (4.10.2017)
• Appendix table 3. Means of transport used on domestic trips in May to August 2015-2017* (4.10.2017)
• Appendix table 4. Leisure trips abroad (overnight in destination country) by destination in May to August 2015-2017* (4.10.2017)
• Appendix table 5. Trips abroad by type of trip and destination in May to August 2015-2017* 1) (4.10.2017)
• Appendix table 6.1. Trips to Sweden and Estonia by type of trip in May to August 2015-2017* (4.10.2017)
• Appendix table 6.2. Trips to Sweden and Estonia by reason in May to August 2015-2017* (4.10.2017)

Quality descriptions

• Quality description: Finnish Travel 2016 (4.10.2017)

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Updated 4.10.2017