Home > Statistics > Accommodation statistics > 2014 > August > Nights spent by foreign tourists in Finland increased by 0.6 per cent in August

Published: 23 October 2014

Nights spent by foreign tourists in Finland increased by 0.6 per cent in August

The number of recorded nights spent by foreign tourists at Finnish accommodation establishments in August 2014 was 700,000, which was 0.6 per cent more than one year earlier. Overnight stays by resident tourists at accommodation establishments numbered close on 1.5 million. The number was 2.0 per cent lower than in August 2013. The total number of overnight stays decreased by 1.2 per cent from the year before. Accommodation establishments recorded good 2.1 million of them in August 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 August 2014/2013, %

The steep decline in overnight stays by Russian visitors continued in August. Altogether, 156,000 overnight stays were recorded for them at Finnish accommodation establishments, which was 13.5 per cent lower than one year before. Both in July and August, good 20,000 fewer overnight stays were recorded for Russian visitors than in the corresponding months one year earlier. The decline was more modest in June. However, Russians made up the largest group of foreign tourists in August 2014. Germans came next with close on 79,000 nights spent, with an increase of 10 per cent from the previous year. Slightly under 76,000 overnight stays were recorded for Swedish visitors, and they made up the third largest group of foreign tourists. The overnight stays of Swedish visitors increased by 6.5 per cent from the respective time period of last year. Overnight stays by British visitors rose to 30,000 even though the amount declined by 2.3 per cent.

Overnight stays recorded for visitors from Italy and the United States increased by seven per cent each and totalled 27,000 to 28,000. Overnight stays by Spanish tourists made an upturn in April, which still continues and in August the number of stays was good 19,000, which was 16.6 per cent more than in August 2013. Dutch and Estonian tourists also achieved over ten per cent growth. By contrast, overnight stays by Japanese visitors decreased by 12.6 per cent from the respective time period of last year.

By region, the total number of overnight stays increased in August most in Central Finland, up by 11.6 per cent. In Central Ostrobothnia, overnight stays went up by 9.5 per cent. In Uusimaa and Pohjois-Savo, overnight stays increased by 4.2 per cent in both regions. The biggest decreases in overnight stays were recorded in South Karelia, 14.1 per cent, and in Ostrobothnia, 10.9 per cent. In Kainuu, ten per cent fewer overnight stays were recorded than in August 2013. In South Ostrobothnia and Pirkanmaa, the decrease in overnight stays amounted to between eight and nine per cent. Overnight stays in the whole country dropped by 1.2 per cent from last year.

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

Nights spent in hotels decreased by 0.9 per cent in August 2014

In August 2014, the total number of nights spent in hotels was just under 1.6 million, which was 0.9 per cent lower than twelve months earlier. Overnight stays by resident tourists decreased by 1.9 per cent and accommodation establishments recorded good one million of them. By contrast, overnight stays by foreign tourists increased by one per cent and accommodation establishments recorded a total of nearly 530,000 of them.

The occupancy rate of hotel rooms in the whole country was 57.4 per cent in August. One year earlier, it was 56.1 per cent. Among the regions, the highest occupancy rates of hotel rooms were measured in Uusimaa, 74.1 per cent, South Karelia, 69.2 per cent, and in Varsinais-Suomi, 63.9 per cent. In Vantaa and Turku, the occupancy rate of hotel rooms rose to above 70 per cent and in Lappeenranta to 80.0 per cent. Hotel room occupancy rate in Helsinki was 80.5 per cent.

In August, the realised average price of a hotel room was EUR 92.20 per day for the whole country. Twelve months previously it was EUR 88.10.

Hotel room occupancy rate and the monthly average price

Total number of nights spent at all accommodation establishments fell by 2.1 per cent in January to August 2014

Between January and August 2014, the number of nights spent at accommodation establishments in Finland totalled 14.3 million. This was 2.1 per cent lower than in the corresponding period one year earlier. Overnight stays by resident tourists decreased by 2.6 per cent and accommodation establishments recorded a total of 10.1 million of them. Overnight stays by foreign tourists numbered almost 4.2 million, which was 0.9 per cent lower than in January to August 2013.

Russians reached the limit of over one million overnight stays in January to August even though 11.1 per cent fewer overnight stays were recorded for them compared with the corresponding period last year. Russians were still by far the largest group of foreign visitors in January to August, while Swedish visitors came next with 410,000 overnight stays. The overnight stays of Swedish visitors increased by 2.1 per cent from the respective time period of last year. German visitors made up the third largest group with close on 391,000 overnight stays. The number of nights recorded for them at Finnish accommodation establishments was 1.1 per cent fewer than one year earlier.

Overnight stays by Estonian, Chinese and Spanish visitors increased by six per cent, while overnight stays by Japanese tourists decreased by the same amount. Among the most important countries of inbound tourism into Finland, overnight stays of visitors from the United States increased most, however, or by 9.0 per cent, and a total of nearly 150,000 overnight stays were recorded for them in January to August.

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

Source: Accommodation Statistics. Statistics Finland

Inquiries: Marjut Tuominen 029 551 3556, Ossi Nurmi 029 551 2984, liikenne.matkailu@stat.fi

Director in charge: Hannele Orjala

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Appendix tables

• Appendix table 1.1. Capacity and its utilization, August 2014 (23.10.2014)
• Appendix table 1.2. Capacity and its utilization, January-August 2014 (23.10.2014)
• Appendix table 2.1. Nights spend in all establishments, August 2014 (23.10.2014)
• Appendix table 2.2. Nights spend in all establishments, January-August 2014 (23.10.2014)
• Appendix table 3.1. Hotel capacity and capacity utilization, August 2014 (23.10.2014)
• Appendix table 3.2. Hotel capacity and capacity utilization, January-August 2014 (23.10.2014)
• Appendix table 4.1. Nights spend in hotels, August 2014 (23.10.2014)
• Appendix table 4.2. Nights spend in hotels, January-August 2014 (23.10.2014)
• Appendix table 5.1. Visitor arrivals and nights spend by country of residence, August 2014 (23.10.2014)
• Appendix table 5.2. Visitor arrivals and nights spend by country of residence, January-August 2014 (23.10.2014)
• Appendix table 6. Nights spend in all establishments, 2014 (23.10.2014)

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Updated 23.10.2014