10.5.2023 | Estonia

The number foreign tourists grew 33% in March

Text Mark Taylor
Photo Andrei Chertkov

According to data released by Statistics Estonia, nearly 226,000 tourists stayed in accommodation establishments in March 2023, which was 18 per cent more than in March last year. The number of foreign tourists growing by 33 per cent and domestic tourists by 8 per cent.

“Compared with March 2022, there were more foreign as well as domestic tourists accommodated, 101,700 foreign and 124,500 domestic tourists stayed in accommodation establishments in Estonia in March this year. Year on year, there were 33 per cent more foreign tourists. Their number did not yet reach the pre-pandemic level as it was 18 per cent lower than in March 2019,” explained Helga Laurmaa, a leading analyst at Statistics Estonia.

Compared with March 2022, there were more tourists from European countries as well as from countries outside of Europe. The biggest number of accommodated tourists arrived from Finland (nearly 40,000), and there were 19,000 tourists from Latvia. The number of arrivals from these two countries was higher than in March last year. Compared with March 2022, there were also more tourists from Germany, Lithuania, the United Kingdom, Sweden, the USA, Poland, and Asian countries.

76 per cent of the foreign tourists stayed in accommodation establishments in Harjumaa, followed by Pärnumaa (11 per cent), Tartumaa (6 per cent) and Ida-Virumaa (2 per cent).

The largest share of domestic tourists (35 per cent) were accommodated in Harjumaa, Pärnumaa (14 per cent), Tartumaa (11 per cent), and Ida-Virumaa (10 per cent).

The average cost of a guest night in March 2023 was 43 euros per person, which is 6 euros more than in March 2022 and 7 euros more than in March 2019. The average cost of a guest night increased by 15 per cent year on year. The average cost of an overnight stay per person was 51 euros in Lääne-Virumaa, 48 euros in Tartumaa, 45 euros in Harjumaa, 44 euros in Ida-Virumaa, and 36 euros in Pärnumaa.