14.4.2024 | Estonia

Foreign tourists continue to find their way back to Tallinn

Text Mark Taylor
Photo Andrei Chertkov

According to data released by Statistics Estonia, nearly 225,000 tourists stayed in accommodation establishments in the country in February 2024, which was 1 per cent more than in February last year. While the number of domestic tourists decreased a little, the number of foreign tourists increased.

“More than 107,000 foreign and about 118,000 domestic tourists were accommodated in Estonia in February. Compared with February 2023, there were 4 per cent more foreign tourists, but their number was still 11 per cent smaller than in February 2020 just before the pandemic. The number of domestic tourists was 1 per cent smaller than last February’s all-time record,” explained Helga Laurmaa, a leading analyst at Statistics Estonia.

In February, the highest numbers of foreign visitors arrived from Finland (over 49,000) and Latvia (over 17,000). Compared with February last year, there were 2 per cent more Finnish tourists and 27 per cent more Latvian tourists accommodated in Estonia. There were also more tourists arriving from Lithuania, Germany, the USA, and Asian countries.

78 per cent of foreign tourists stayed in accommodation establishments in Harjumaa, followed by Pärnumaa (9 per cent), Tartumaa (6 per cent), and Valgamaa (2 per cent) counties.

The average cost of a guest night was 43 euros per person, which was 1 euro more than in February 2023 and 9 euros more than in February 2020 before the pandemic. The average cost of an overnight stay per person was 51 euros in Lääne-Virumaa, 47 euros in Tartumaa, 45 euros in Harjumaa, 43 euros in Ida-Virumaa, and 37 euros in Pärnumaa and Valgamaa.