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Published: 17 September 2015

Nights spent by foreign tourists in Finland up by 6.5 per cent in July

The number of recorded nights spent by foreign tourists at Finnish accommodation establishments in July 2015 was 760,000, which was 6.5 per cent higher than in July 2014. By contrast, overnight stays by domestic tourists decreased by one per cent and accommodation establishments recorded nearly 2.2 million of them. In July 2015, the total number of nights spent at accommodation establishments was almost 3.0 million, which was 0.7 per cent higher than in July 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.

Change in overnight stays in July 2015/2014, %

Large international events increased the number of overnight stays by foreign visitors in July 2015. Except for Russia and France, nights spent by visitors from all the most important countries of inbound tourism to Finland increased or remained on level with the previous year. Overnight stays by Swiss tourists increased most, by as much as 74 per cent, which made them the fifth largest country of inbound tourism with close on 44,000 overnight stays. However, Swedish tourists were the largest group of foreign visitors with good 125,000 nights spent. The number was 6.2 per cent higher than last year. Russian tourists came next with 91,000 overnight stays, even though 37.5 per cent fewer nights were recorded for them than one year earlier. Germans came third with close on 89,000 nights spent and they had 18.8 per cent more overnight stays at accommodation establishments than in July 2014.

Strong growth was also recorded for Norwegian tourists, 27 per cent, and they spent nearly 46,000 nights at Finnish accommodation establishments. Overnight stays by Chinese tourists have increased throughout the current year. and in July 2015 the growth amounted to 47.2 per cent. The number of nights spent by them rose to 27,600.

By region, the total number of overnight stays increased in July most in Ostrobothnia, up by 18.2 per cent. In Uusimaa, overnight stays went up by 15.5 per cent and in North Karelia by 10.6 per cent. The biggest decreases in overnight stays were recorded in North Ostrobothnia, 21.2 per cent, and in Etelä-Savo, 15.2 per cent. In the whole country, overnight stays increased by 0.7 per cent from July 2014.

Change in overnight stays in July by region 2015 / 2014, %

Overnight stays in hotels increased by 4.7 per cent in July

In July 2015, the total number of nights spent in hotels was close on 2 million, which was 4.7 per cent higher than twelve months earlier. Overnight stays by resident tourists increased by 3.2 per cent and hotels recorded 1.4 million of them. Overnight stays by foreign tourists increased by 9.1 per cent and hotels recorded a total of good 546,000 of them in July 2015.

The occupancy rate of hotel rooms in the whole country was 61.7 per cent in July. One year earlier, it was 59.1 per cent. Among the regions, the highest occupancy rate of hotel rooms was measured in Åland, 80.1 per cent. An occupancy rate of over 70 per cent was reached in Varsinais-Suomi, 73.3 per cent, in Uusimaa, 70.4 per cent, and in Pirkanmaa, where 70.1 per cent of hotel rooms were in use. In Mariehamn, the hotel room occupancy rose to 90.5 per cent. The hotel room occupancy rate in Helsinki was 77.8 per cent.

In July, the realised average price of a hotel room was EUR 88.06 per day for the whole country. Twelve months previously, it was EUR 85.25.

Hotel room occupancy rate and the monthly average price

Total number of nights spent at all accommodation establishments fell by 1.5 per cent in January to July

Between January and July 2015, the number of nights spent at accommodation establishments in Finland totalled around 12 million. This was 1.5 per cent lower than in the corresponding period one year earlier. The number of nights spent by resident tourists remained on level with the previous year, while that of nights spent by foreign tourists decreased by 5.9 per cent. In total, 8.7 million overnight stays were recorded for resident tourists and close on 3.3 million overnight stays were recorded for non-resident tourists.

Between January and July 2015, the number of nights spent by Russian visitors at accommodation establishments in Finland totalled close on 513,000 million, which was 42.4 per cent down on the respective time period of last year. They were still, by far, the largest group of foreign visitors in January to July, while Swedish visitors came next with 348,000 overnight stays. Overnight stays of Swedes went up by 5.8 per cent. Good 342,000 overnight stays were recorded for German visitors and 222,000 for British tourists. The overnight stays of visitors from Germany increased by 10.1 per cent and those of visitors from Great Britain by 1.8 per cent from the previous year's corresponding time period.

Overnight stays by French visitors amounted to 148,000 in January to July, which was 5.1 per cent more than in the corresponding period one year ago. Accommodation establishments recorded nearly 124,000 overnight stays for Norwegian tourists and 118,000 overnight stays for tourists from the United States. Overnight stays by Norwegian tourists increased by 9.8 per cent, while those by tourists from the United States decreased by 3.4 per cent from the corresponding period in 2014. Both Swiss and Estonian tourists spent over 110,000 nights in Finland and in January to July, overnight stays by Swiss visitors increased by 23.2 per cent while those by Estonian visitors only grew by 1.6 per cent.

Among the most important countries of inbound tourism to Finland, overnight stays by Chinese visitors increased most, or by 40.4 per cent, during the January to July period. The number of nights spent by them rose to 98,000.

Change in overnight stays in January-July 2015/2014, %

Source: Accommodation Statistics. Statistics Finland

Inquiries: Marjut Tuominen 029 551 3356, Kari Keränen 029 551 3208, liikenne.matkailu@stat.fi

Director in charge: Mari Ylä-Jarkko

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Appendix tables

• Appendix table 1.1. Capacity and its utilization, July 2015 (17.9.2015)
• Appendix table 1.2. Capacity and its utilization, January-July 2015 (17.9.2015)
• Appendix table 2.1. Nights spend in all establishments, July 2015 (17.9.2015)
• Appendix table 2.2. Nights spend in all establishments, January-July 2015 (17.9.2015)
• Appendix table 3.1. Hotel capacity and capacity utilization, July 2015 (17.9.2015)
• Appendix table 3.2. Hotel capacity and capacity utilization, January-July 2015 (17.9.2015)
• Appendix table 4.1. Nights spend in hotels, July 2015 (17.9.2015)
• Appendix table 4.2. Nights spend in hotels, January-July 2015 (17.9.2015)
• Appendix table 5.1. Visitor arrivals and nights spend by country of residence, July 2015 (17.9.2015)
• Appendix table 5.2. Visitor arrivals and nights spend by country of residence, January-July 2015 (17.9.2015)
• Appendix table 6. Nights spend in all establishments, 2015 (17.9.2015)

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Updated 17.9.2015