Finnish residents travelled enthusiastically in January-April 2012

In the early part of 2012, Finnish residents made abundant trips both in the home country and abroad. Six per cent more domestic leisure trips with paid accommodation were made than one year earlier. Trips abroad were even more plentiful, increasing by 14 per cent from the respective period of the year before.

Finns' leisure trips, cumulative accumulation monthly 2009-2012

In the first four months of 2012, Finnish residents aged 15 to 84 made 12 million trips when all domestic and foreign leisure trips, as well as business and professional trips are included. In addition to trips with overnight stay, the number also includes same-day trips abroad. The number of trips recorded in statistics was seven per cent lower than during the same period of 2011 when the information was asked of a population aged 15 to 74.

Around 7.2 million domestic leisure trips with overnight stay were made in the January-April period. Of these, 5.4 million were trips to own free-time residence or visits to friends or relatives. Trips with overnight stay at paid accommodation numbered 1.8 million and their most population destinations were located in Uusimaa, Lapland and North Ostrobothnia. The number of trips with paid accommodation recorded in statistics was six per cent higher than in January-April of the previous year.

Inclusive of trips with overnight stay in the destination country, as well as cruises and same-day trips, leisure trips abroad numbered 2.2 million in the January-April period. Of the leisure trips abroad, 1,608,000 were trips with overnight stay in the destination country and 429,000 were cruises with overnight stay on board only. The cruises were mostly headed to Estonia and Sweden.

The neighbouring countries of Estonia and Sweden attract Finnish resident tourists irrespective of the time of the year and 314,000 trips with overnight stay in the destination country were made to Estonia and 236,000 to Sweden. The Canary Islands and Thailand remained firm winter favourites of Finnish resident tourists. In the early part of the year, 261,000 trips were made to Spain, two out of three of them to the Canary Islands. The number of trips with overnight stay in destination country recorded in statistics was 39 per cent higher than in last year's January-April period.

In addition to leisure trips, 1.5 million domestic business or professional trips were made. Business or professional trips abroad (inclusive of trips with overnight stay in the destination country, cruises and same-day trips) numbered 919,000.

These data derive from Statistics Finland’s Finnish Travel survey for which altogether 5,908 persons aged 15 to 84 were interviewed in February, March, April and May. In earlier years, the data were collected from persons aged 15 to 74. The data collection of the survey was significantly revised from the beginning of 2012, so the latest data are not fully comparable with earlier data.

Notes to the appendix tables

From 2012 onwards the figures are not fully comparable with those on earlier years due to the revised data collection method.

[..] Data not available or too uncertain for presentation.
[ ] No observations in the survey.

In some tables the sums do not amount to the totals shown because of rounding.

Source: Finnish Travel, Statistics Finland

Inquiries: Taru Tamminen 09 1734 2243, liikenne.matkailu@stat.fi

Director in charge: Hannele Orjala

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Appendix tables

Updated 8.6.2012

Referencing instructions:

Official Statistics of Finland (OSF): Finnish Travel [e-publication].
ISSN=1798-9027. Spring (1.1.-30.4.2012) 2012. Helsinki: Statistics Finland [referred: 22.11.2024].
Access method: http://www.stat.fi/til/smat/2012/13/smat_2012_13_2012-06-08_tie_001_en.html