Home > Statistics > Finnish Travel > 2020 > 2. Domestic trips

2. Domestic trips

2.1. Domestic leisure trips shifted from hotels to rented cottages

In 2020, some 5.5 million leisure trips were made in Finland during which paid accommodation services, such as hotels, camping sites or rented cottages, were used at least once. The number of short trips with one to three nights decreased by around 40 per cent, but the number of trips with at least four nights increased almost by one fifth.

Examined by age group, domestic trips of those aged 65 to 84 with paid accommodation decreased by nearly one half, while in other age groups the decrease was only good one fifth.

Finns' favourite holiday destinations in Finland were Lapland, Uusimaa and North Ostrobothnia. The trips to Lapland numbered 740,000, or 14 per cent of all trips with paid accommodation. Thirteen per cent of trips were made to Uusimaa and 10 per cent to North Ostrobothnia.

More leisure trips with paid accommodation were also made to Lapland in 2020 than in the year before. September was the most popular month for travelling to Lapland. July and August were also popular times in Lapland.

During the summer months, the most popular destination was in Uusimaa, Lapland or North Ostrobothnia.

Trips with paid accommodation to large towns decreased significantly. Trips to Helsinki decreased to under one half from the previous year. Trips to Tampere and Turku fell by over 40 per cent.

The number of nights spent during domestic leisure trips involving paid accommodation totalled 16 million, which was as many as in 2019. Around one half of overnight stays were at rented cottages, one third at hotels and the rest at camping sites and in holiday villages. Overnight stays at hotels decreased by one third from the previous year but rented cottages and camping sites were winners in the coronavirus year, as the overnight stays in them increased by around one half.

In Finland, passenger cars were the most usual means of transport as 85 per cent of trips were made with passenger cars. Travel by public transport, such as train, bus or plane, decreased from the previous year.

2.2. Duration of trips with free accommodation lengthened

Altogether 15.9 million overnight leisure trips with free accommodation were made in Finland, i.e. to own free-time residences or to relatives or friends. The number of these trips with free accommodation decreased only slightly from the previous year. However, the duration of the trips lengthened by one night from the previous year, to 4.1 nights, on average. Therefore, overnight stays went up by 16 per cent. Of nights spent in free accommodation, overnight stays at own free-time residences increased most, as their number nearly doubled. By contrast, the number of nights spent at friends and relatives decreased by one fifth.

The most popular destination region for trips with free accommodation was Uusimaa. However, only close on one third of trips to Uusimaa were made to Helsinki, to which one half fewer trips were made than in 2019. The popularity of other large towns as free accommodation destinations also decreased clearly from the previous year. After Uusimaa, the next most popular destination regions for trips with free accommodation were Southwest Finland, Pirkanmaa and Lapland.

The high season for trips with free accommodation was the summer months, as 40 per cent of trips with free accommodation in 2020 were made in June to August.

2.3. Increase in overnight stays during domestic leisure trips was due to people living in Greater Helsinki

Change in the number of overnight stays during domestic leisure trips by the person's area of residence and age group in 2020

Persons resident in Greater Helsinki stayed overnight a total of 27.6 million nights during domestic leisure trips, which was 45 per cent more than in the year before. By contrast, no significant annual change is visible in the number of overnight stays of persons resident outside Greater Helsinki.

Examined by age group, overnight stays increased clearly among young people (aged 15 to 24) and especially among people of working age (aged 25 to 64). Overnight stays in these age groups increased by 12 to 17 per cent from the previous year. By contrast, the number of overnight stays among people of retirement age (aged 65 to 84) did not grow. This is particularly due to overnight stays in paid accommodation, which among people of retirement age decreased by around one quarter from the previous year. In other age groups, the number of overnight stays with paid accommodation was slightly higher than in 2019.

2.4. Factors influencing the selection of the domestic travel destination

Domestic leisure trips in which holiday was given as the reason numbered 11.8 million in 2020. Of them, 4.2 million were trips with paid overnight stay and 7.6 million with free accommodation.

In the survey it was possible to mention at most two reasons for selecting the domestic holiday destination. The most significant factor in selecting the travel destination was nature and it had an effect on selecting the travel destination in four out of five trips with free accommodation, which are such as trips to free-time residences and trips to friends and relatives.

Concerning trips with paid accommodation, nature was also the most important reason for selecting the destination and was selected by 56 per cent, while in the previous year only 37 per cent mentioned that nature affected the selection of the destination. The next most important reasons were well-being and physical exercise, while the share of culture and shopping decreased clearly from the year before.

2.4. Domestic business trips

A total of two million business trips with overnight stays were made in Finland in 2020. Forty-five per cent fewer domestic business trips were made than in 2019.

Domestic business trips were typically very short. Of the trips, 47 per cent lasted one night and only 11 per cent five nights or more.

Domestic business trips were usually made by own car, as 66 per cent of the trips were made by passenger car. Seventeen per cent of business trips were made by train and four per cent by plane.

Source: Finnish Travel, Statistics Finland

Inquiries: Taru Tamminen 029 551 2243, Ossi Nurmi 029 551 2984, liikenne.matkailu@stat.fi

Head of Department in charge: Hannele Orjala

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Updated 30.3.2021