10.12.2023 | Estonia

Tourist numbers falling

Text Mark Taylor
Photo Andrei Chertkov

According to data released by Statistics Estonia, more than 251,000 tourists stayed in accommodation establishments in Estonia in October 2023. However, this was 7 per cent less than in October last year and 8 per cent less than in September this year. Accommodation establishments hosted fewer foreign as well as domestic tourists.

”124,000 foreign tourists were accommodated in Estonia in October. Compared with October last year, 5 per cent fewer foreign tourists stayed in accommodation establishments. The number of foreign tourists was more than a quarter (28 per cent) below the pre-crisis level of October 2019,” explained Helga Laurmaa, a leading analyst at Statistics Estonia.

Laurmaa added that 127,000 domestic tourists stayed in accommodation establishments in October, which was 9 per cent less than in October last year, but 9 per cent more than in 2019 before the pandemic.

The highest number of tourists arrived from Finland, accounting for 43 per cent of all foreign tourists. Finland was followed by Latvia (16 per cent), Germany (5 per cent) and Lithuania (4 per cent).

Compared with October 2022, there were more tourists from many European countries as well as from countries further away. The number of Lithuanian tourists increased by 6 per cent, Latvian tourists by 3 per cent, and German tourists by 10 per cent. Compared with October of last year, the number of tourists arriving from Asian countries rose by 51 per cent. However, fewer tourists than a year ago arrived in Estonia from Finland, Sweden, and Poland.

Three-quarters 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) counties.

The largest share (a third) of domestic tourists were accommodated in Harjumaa, 13 per cent in Pärnumaa, 12 per cent in Tartumaa, and 11 per cent in Ida-Virumaa.

The average cost of a guest night was 45 euros per person, which is 1 euro more than in October 2022 and 7 euros more than in October 2019. The average cost of an overnight stay per person was 48 euros in Harjumaa and Lääne-Virumaa, 46 euros in Tartumaa, 45 euros in Ida-Virumaa, 44 euros in Saaremaa, 42 euros in Läänemaa and 40 euros in Pärnumaa.