Accommodated tourist numbers up 14 percent in April
According to a Tuesday morning press release by Statistics Estonia, a total of 257,000 domestic and foreign tourists stayed at Estonian accommodation establishments in April 2017, an increase of 14 percent on year.
In all, 157,000 foreign touristss and 100,000 domestic tourists used the services of accommodation establishments in April, indicating increases of 12 and 16 percent, respectively, over April of last year.
67 percent of foreign tourists who used accommodation services came from neighboring countries, including 77,000 tourists from Finland, 16,000 from Russia and 13,000 from Latvia. Compared to April 2016, the number of tourists from neighboring countries increased 12 percent. There was also an increase in the number of tourists arriving from several European countries, including Sweden, Germany and Lithuania. 15 percent more tourists came from Asian countries as well.
44,000 foreign tourists stayed at accommodation establishments located outide of Tallinn, one-third of whom stayed in Pärnu and a quarter of whom stayed in Tartu. Four percent of foreign tourists to use accommodation services in Estonia stayed at accommodation establishments in Ida-Viru County and two percent of such tourists stayed in Saare County.
39 percent of the customers of accommodation establishments were domestic tourists, 62 percent of whom were on vacation and 26 percent of whom were traveling for business. 30 percent of domestic tourists stayed in the accommodation establishments of Harju County, while another 16 and 15 percent each stayed in Pärnu County and Tartu County, respectively. In most counties, the number of domestic tourists staying at accommodation establishments increased compared to April 2016 figures.
This April, a total of 972 accommodation establishments offered services for tourists, offering 20,000 rooms and 45,000 beds with an occupancy rate of 45 and 35 percent, respectively. The average cost of a guest night was €37, up three euros compared to April of last year, with the cost as high as €43 in Harju County and slightly lower at €35 and €30 in Tartu County and Pärnu County, respectively.
Editor: Aili Vahtla