Tourists returned to Estonia in August 

Text Mark Taylor
Photo Andrei Chertkov

According to Statistics Estonia, the country’s tourism sector saw positive growth in August 2024, with accommodation establishments welcoming 455,000 tourists—a 6 per cent increase compared to the same month last year. This growth was driven primarily by a 14 per cent rise in foreign visitors, while domestic tourism saw a slight decline of 1 per cent.

Foreign tourists accounted for 232,000 of the visitors, with 69,000 coming from Finland, representing 30 per cent of all foreign visitors. Other significant numbers came from Latvia, Germany, and Lithuania. Notably, tourists from Germany saw the biggest year-on-year growth, increasing by 6,600. On the other hand, Lithuania saw a slight decrease in tourist numbers, with 3,000 fewer visitors compared to August 2023. Commenting on the data, Helga Laurmaa, a leading analyst at Statistics Estonia, noted: “While foreign tourism has made a solid recovery, overall figures are still 7 per cent lower than in pre-pandemic August 2019.”

Most foreign tourists, about 84 per cent, were leisure travellers, while 11 per cent visited for business. Harjumaa was the most popular destination for foreign visitors, accommodating 69 per cent of them, followed by Pärnumaa, Tartumaa, and Saaremaa counties.

In total, tourists spent 821,000 nights in Estonian accommodations, with foreign visitors accounting for 449,000 of those nights and domestic tourists for 372,000.

The average cost of a night’s stay was 48 euros, unchanged from August 2023, but 23 per cent higher than in August 2019. The highest prices were in Harjumaa (52 euros per night), while the lowest were in Ida-Virumaa (41 euros per night).

The numbers reflect a recovery for Estonia’s tourism industry, with foreign tourists, especially from Finland and Germany, showing renewed interest in the destination. However, the market still has room to grow to fully return to pre-pandemic levels.

To learn more about this and similar topics
Accommodation Trends Estonia Domestic Tourism Estonia Tourism Foreign Visitors Estonia Tourist Spending Estonia Tourist Statistics 2024