Home > Statistics > Accommodation statistics > 2014 > May > Nights spent by foreign tourists in Finland down by 4.1 per cent in May 2014

Published: 17 July 2014

Nights spent by foreign tourists in Finland down by 4.1 per cent in May 2014

The number of recorded nights spent by foreign tourists at Finnish accommodation establishments in May 2014 was nearly 400,000, which was 4.1 per cent fewer than in May 2013. Overnight stays by resident tourists numbered close on one million, which was one per cent more than in May 2013. The total number of overnight stays decreased by 0.5 per cent from the year before. Accommodation establishments recorded good 1.3 million of them in May 2014. 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, and youth hostels.

Change in overnight stays in May 2014/2013, %

The steep decline in overnight stays by Russian tourists continued further in May, which partially affected the four per cent decline in the total number of overnight stays by foreign visitors. A total of 89,000 overnight stays at Finnish accommodation establishments were recorded for Russian visitors, which was 27.5 per cent less than one year before. However, Russians maintained their top position among foreign visitors measured by overnight stays in May 2014. Swedish tourists came next with nearly 46,000 nights spent and they had 1.8 per cent more overnight stays at accommodation establishments than in May 2013. German tourists came third with nearly 30,000 nights spent, even though the figure went down by 17.7 per cent from the previous year. Close on 23,000 overnight stays were recorded for British visitors at Finnish accommodation establishments, which was three per cent more than one year before. Overnight stays by Spanish, Japanese and Dutch visitors increased by good one-fifth in May 2014, but among the most important countries of inbound tourism to Finland, overnight stays by visitors from Estonia increased most, however. They spent good 16,000 nights at accommodation establishments, which was 33.3 per cent up from one year before.

By region, the total number of overnight stays increased in May most in Central Ostrobothnia, up by 42.9 per cent. Overnight stays increased by 16.5 per cent in Päijät-Häme and by 14.1 per cent in Kanta-Häme. Overnight stays in North Ostrobothnia increased by 7.4 per cent from the year before. The biggest drop in overnight stays was recorded in South Karelia, 17.3 per cent. In Satakunta, Pirkanmaa and Kymenlaakso, the decrease in overnight stays was around six per cent in each region. In Ostrobothnia, five per cent fewer overnight stays were recorded than in May 2013. Overnight stays in the whole country dropped by one per cent from last year.

Change in overnight stays in May by region 2014 / 2013, %

Nights spent in hotels decreased by one per cent in May 2014

The total number of nights spent in hotels was good 1.1 million in May 2014, which was one per cent fewer than twelve months earlier. Overnight stays by resident tourists increased by 0.5 per cent and hotels recorded a total of 798,000 of them. By contrast, overnight stays by foreign tourists decreased by 4.3 per cent and hotels recorded a total of 341,000 of them.

The occupancy rate of hotel rooms in the whole country was 49.6 per cent in May. One year earlier, it was 49.1 per cent. Among the regions, the highest occupancy rates of hotel rooms were measured in Uusimaa, 66.9 per cent, and Central Ostrobothnia, 55.8 per cent. In Vantaa, the hotel room occupancy rate was 68.1 per cent and in Kokkola, it rose to 68.5 per cent. Hotel room occupancy rate in Helsinki was 74.5 per cent.

In May 2014, the realised average price of a hotel room was EUR 92.27 per day for the whole country. Twelve months previously it was EUR 93.38.

Hotel room occupancy rate and the monthly average price

Total number of nights spent at all accommodation establishments fell by 1.8 per cent in January to May 2014

Between January and May 2014, the number of nights spent at accommodation establishments in Finland totalled 7.1 million. This was 1.8 per cent lower than in the corresponding period one year earlier. Overnight stays by resident tourists decreased by the same amount and accommodation establishments recorded close on 5 million of them. Overnight stays by foreign tourists numbered nearly 2.2 million, which was 1.7 per cent less than in January to May 2013.

Nearly 639,000 nights spent at Finnish accommodation establishments were recorded for Russians, and they were by far the largest group of foreign visitors in January to May 2014. The growth in overnight stays by Russian visitors at Finnish accommodation establishments halted in January, and their overnight stays have decreased throughout the ongoing year and diving even further in May 2014. In the January to May period, 11.1 per cent fewer overnight stays at accommodation establishments were recorded for Russians than in the corresponding period of last year. The second largest group was Germans. Nearly 166,000 overnight stays were recorded for them, which was 4.9 per cent fewer than in January to May 2013. British visitors made up the third largest group with close on 162,000 overnight stays. The number of nights recorded for them at Finnish accommodation establishments was 6.7 per cent fewer than one year earlier. The strong growth in overnight stays by Japanese tourists in May was not enough to turn the development positive for the January to May period, all in all their overnight stays contracted by 8.4 per cent. By contrast, overnight stays of visitors from the USA grew by 8.7 per cent from the respective time period in 2013. Among the most important countries of inbound tourism to Finland, overnight stays by Chinese visitors increased most, or by 10.2 per cent, during the January to May period.

Change in overnight stays in January-May 2014/2013, %

Source: Accommodation Statistics. Statistics Finland

Inquiries: Marjut Tuominen 029 551 3556, Merja Rönkä 029 551 3209, liikenne.matkailu@stat.fi

Director in charge: Hannele Orjala

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Appendix tables

• Appendix table 1.1. Capacity and its utilization, May 2014 (17.7.2014)
• Appendix table 1.2. Capacity and its utilization, January-May 2014 (17.7.2014)
• Appendix table 2.1. Nights spend in all establishments, May 2014 (17.7.2014)
• Appendix table 2.2. Nights spend in all establishments, January-May 2014 (17.7.2014)
• Appendix table 3.1. Hotel capacity and capacity utilization, May 2014 (17.7.2014)
• Appendix table 3.2. Hotel capacity and capacity utilization, January-May 2014 (17.7.2014)
• Appendix table 4.1. Nights spend in hotels, May 2014 (17.7.2014)
• Appendix table 4.2. Nights spend in hotels, January-May 2014 (17.7.2014)
• Appendix table 5.1. Visitor arrivals and nights spend by country of residence, May 2014 (17.7.2014)
• Appendix table 5.2. Visitor arrivals and nights spend by country of residence, January-May 2014 (17.7.2014)
• Appendix table 6. Nights spend in all establishments, 2014 (17.7.2014)

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Updated 17.7.2014