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Published: 15 June 2011

Tourism from abroad to Finland increased in 2010

In 2010, Finland received 6.2 million foreign visitors. The number of foreign visitors increased by nine per cent from the year 2009, or by nearly half a million travellers. Foreign visitors brought over EUR 2 billion to Finland, which was approximately EUR 460 million more than in the previous year. The number of travellers and the amount of money brought by them exceeded even the numbers before the downturn of 2009. These data derive from the Border Interview Survey by Statistics Finland and Finnish Tourist Board.

Table 1. Foreign passengers visiting Finland in 2006-2010

Country of residence	Year
	2006 (1000 pass.)	2007 (1000 pass.)	2008 (1000 pass.)	2009 (1000 pass.)	2010 (1000 pass.)	Change 2009-2010, per cent (%)
All visitors	5 345	5 736	6 072	5 695	6 182	9
Russia	1 737	2 070	2 331	2 192	2 561	17
Sweden	779	768	765	753	712	-5
Estonia	503	561	522	583	561	-4
Germany	369	350	376	332	363	10
Great Britain	317	312	316	267	263	-1
Norway	187	194	187	160	195	22
France	133	131	120	94	132	40
Spain	79	83	116	123	110	-10
Japan	89	103	105	142	109	-23

The largest number of visitors, 2.6 million, or more than 40 per cent of all visitors to Finland, came from Russia. The second highest number, or over 700,000 visitors, came from Sweden. The third highest number, or just under 600,000 visitors, came from Estonia. The number of visitors from Sweden and Estonia decreased from the previous year. Travel from Russia increased by nearly 400,000 visitors or 17 per cent from the previous year. Five per cent of the foreign residents visiting Finland were Finnish citizens.

In 2010, more than half of the foreign visitors to Finland were on leisure trips. Twelve per cent of all visitors to Finland came to see friends or relatives. Twenty-two per cent of all foreign visitors to Finland came on business. Nine per cent of the visitors were on a transit trip through Finland.

In 2010, half of the foreign travellers to Finland stayed at hotels or motels. A quarter stayed with friends or relatives. Three out of four business travellers stayed at hotels and motels as did half of the leisure travellers. Foreign travellers stayed an average of 4.4 nights in Finland. Forty-one per cent of the trips to Finland did not include an overnight stay. Visitors from Russia made the highest number of same-day visits to Finland.

In 2010, the average amount of money foreign visitors spent while in Finland was EUR 330. This was EUR 52 more than in the previous year. Foreign visitors used EUR 4 more per day than in the previous year, EUR 61 on average.

Travelling to places of work in Finland decreased in 2010

In the Border Interview Survey, foreign passengers are asked whether they have a place of work in Finland. The question is presented if the target person lives permanently outside Finland and his or her main reason for visiting Finland is business. Foreign passengers who have lived or will live in Finland for more than 12 months are not interviewed in the survey. Moreover, visitors who have a place of work in Finland are asked how many times they have been to Finland during the last 12 months, how many nights they have spent in Finland, what type of accommodation they have used and how much money they have spent during this visit.

Table 2. Foreign passengers travelling to a place of work in Finland in 2006–2010 and their number of trips to Finland in 2010

Country of residence	Year
	2006 (1000 persons)	2007 (1000 persons)	2008 (1000 persons)	2009 (1000 persons)	2010 (1000 persons)	2010 (1000 visits)
All passengers	36,6	43,6	35,9	43,6	39,2	156,8
Estonia	15,7	20,6	17,9	20,8	12,8	85,2
Russia	12,3	9,3	6,8	7,5	8,5	24,5
Sweden	0,8	1,1	0,7	1,8	2,8	11,0
Germany	0,9	1,5	0,5	1,2	4,0	9,0
Poland	0,9	6,7	0,9	2,7	2,6	8,1
Other countries	5,9	4,4	9,0	9,7	8,5	19,0

In 2010, there were approximately 39,000 persons working in Finland, whose permanent country of residence was other than Finland. This was around 4,000 persons fewer than in the previous year. In 2010, about 13,000 persons with a place of work in Finland had their permanent residence in Estonia, 8,500 employees in Russia and 4,000 in Germany. Foreign passengers travelled to Finland because of their place of work in Finland 157,000 times in total. Good one half, 85,000 trips, were from Estonia. The second highest number, 25,000, were from Russia.

Source: Border Interview Survey 2010, Statistics Finland

Inquiries: Jyrki Krzywacki (09) 1734 2701, rajahaastattelut@stat.fi

Director in charge: Riitta Harala

Publication in pdf-format (238.3 kB)

Tables

Appendix tables

• Appendix table 1. Main reasons for foreign passengers to visit Finland in 2010 (15.6.2011)
• Appendix table 2. Length of stay by foreign passengers in Finland in 2010 (15.6.2011)
• Appendix table 3. Foreign passengers' length of stay in Finland, by country of residence, in 2010 (15.6.2011)
• Appendix table 4. Types of accommodation used by foreign passengers in Finland in 2010 (15.6.2011)
• Appendix table 5. Expenditure by foreign passengers in Finland in 2010 (15.6.2011)
• Appendix table 6. Expenditure by foreign passengers in Finland in 2010, by country of residence (15.6.2011)

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Updated 15.6.2011