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Published: 11 June 2020

Finns' travel to Central Europe increased in 2019

According to Statistics Finland's survey, Finnish residents made 8.1 million different leisure trips abroad in 2019. Finnish residents’ travel to Estonia decreased for the second year in a row, but Central Europe increased its popularity as a leisure destination. The number of various domestic leisure trips was 26 million. Business travel in Finland increased slightly but business trips abroad remained on level with the previous year.

Finnish residents’ travel in 2012 to 2019 (excl. domestic leisure trips with free accommodation)

Finnish residents’ leisure trips abroad remained in 2019 on level with the previous year. Leisure trips to our southern neighbour Estonia decreased for the second successive year. Slightly more leisure trips were made to our western and eastern neighbours Sweden and Russia than in the year before.

More leisure trips were made to Central Europe than one year earlier. Of the conventional destinations of Southern Europe, Turkey and the Canary Islands in Spain lost some of their popularity.

The number of trips heading outside Europe increased slightly. Despite this, the numbers of trips to the United States and Thailand decreased.

Finnish residents’ most popular destinations for leisure trips with overnight stay in the destination country in 2019, 2018 and 2017

The number of domestic trips with paid accommodation grew from the previous year. Good seven million of these trips were made in 2019.

Short trips lasting under four nights increased from the year before, but the number of trips with at least four nights decreased from the previous year. As expected, summer months were the most popular time to travel in Finland.

One-fifth of trips with paid accommodation were made to the region of Uusimaa. The next most popular regions were Pirkanmaa and North Ostrobothnia. The most popular towns were Helsinki, Tampere and Turku.

The most popular destination for trips with free accommodation was also Uusimaa. The next most popular destinations with free accommodation were Pirkanmaa, Southwest Finland and North Ostrobothnia.

The number of business trips in Finland increased slightly but business trips abroad were on level with the previous year.

Leisure trips of an average Finn in 2019:
     1.6 domestic leisure trips with paid accommodation,
     1.4 trips abroad that included overnight stay in the country of destination,
     0.4 same-day trips abroad or cruises to neighbouring areas.

Data collection

The collection on trips in 2019 was changed so that the period for which trips were requested to be reported was extended to three months. In 2012 to 2018, only trips from the previous month were asked to be reported.

The data concerning travel derive from Statistics Finland's monthly Finnish Travel sample survey. For the numbers of trips, the data were collected with a web questionnaire or interviews from 7,832 persons aged 15 to 84 permanently resident in Finland.

The numbers of persons who had travelled during the year were collected with an additional survey carried out in connection with the December samples concerning travelling. The data of the annual survey for 2019 are based on responses received from 1,471 persons.

Additional tables are found in the PX Web database at:
http://pxnet2.stat.fi/PXWeb/pxweb/en/StatFin/StatFin__lii__smat/?tablelist=true

Source: Finnish Travel, Statistics Finland

Inquiries: Taru Tamminen 029 551 2243, Ossi Nurmi 029 551 2984, liikenne.matkailu@stat.fi

Director in charge: Mari Ylä-Jarkko

Publication in pdf-format (404.0 kB)

Reviews

• 1. Trips abroad (11.6.2020)
• 2. Domestic trips (11.6.2020)
• 3. Travel reservations (11.6.2020)
• 4. Numbers of trips have changed much in ten years (11.6.2020)
• 5. Eighty-three per cent of Finns made at least one leisure trip in 2019 (11.6.2020)

Tables

Tables in databases

Pick the data you need into tables, view the data as graphs, or download the data for your use.

• Database tables and their variables
• Archived tables

Appendix tables

• Appendix table 1. Overnight stay trips by Finnish residents in 2012 to 2019 (11.6.2020)
• Appendix table 2. Leisure trips abroad (overnight in destination country) by most popular destinations in 2012 to 2019 (11.6.2020)
• Appendix table 3. Business trips abroad by destination country in 2017 to 2019 (11.6.2020)
• Appendix table 4. Trips abroad by cause and destination in 2019 and its change (11.6.2020)
• Appendix table 5. Bookings of transportation via internet in 2019 (11.6.2020)
• Appendix table 6. Bookings of accommodation via internet in 2019 (11.6.2020)

Quality descriptions

• Quality description: Finnish Travel 2019 (11.6.2020)

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Updated 11.6.2020