9.3.2023 | Estonia

The number of Finnish tourists has tripled in the last year

Text Mark Taylor
Photo Andrei Chertkov

According to data released by Statistics Estonia, over 196,000 tourists stayed in accommodation establishments in Estonia in January 2023, which is 24 per cent more than in the same month a year ago. The number of both domestic and foreign tourists increased, with the number of Finnish tourists trebling compared to last year.

“More than 82,000 foreign and 114,000 domestic tourists were accommodated in Estonia in January. Compared with January 2022, there were 54 per cent more foreign tourists, but still fewer than in January 2020, just before the pandemic. The number of accommodated foreign tourists was similar to the figure in January 2017. The number of domestic tourists increased by 9 per cent year on year and set an all-time record for January,” explained Helga Laurmaa, an analyst at Statistics Estonia.

January saw year-on-year growth in the number of tourists from many European countries as well as from outside Europe. The biggest number of foreign visitors came to Estonia from Finland (29,000) and Latvia (nearly 14,000). There were three times as many Finnish tourists as in January 2022, while the number of Latvian tourists was up 31 per cent. More tourists than a year earlier also arrived from Lithuania, Germany, the UK, the USA, and Asian countries. 79 per cent of the foreign tourists stayed in accommodation establishments in Harjumaa, followed by Pärnumaa (8 per cent), Tartumaa (6 per cent), and Ida-Virumaa (2 per cent).

For 68 per cent of domestic tourists, the purpose of their trip was a holiday, while 24 per cent were on business trips. The largest share of domestic tourists (33 per cent) were accommodated in Harjumaa, 13 per cent in Tartumaa, 12 per cent in Pärnumaa, and 10 per cent Ida-Virumaa.

The average cost of a guest night was 44 euros per person, which is 8 euros more expensive than in 2022 and 6 euros more expensive than in January 2020. The average cost of an overnight stay per person was 51 euros in Lääne-Virumaa, 48 euros in Tartumaa, 46 euros in Harjumaa and Ida-Virumaa, and 37 euros in Pärnumaa.