Statistics: Tartu summer tourists numbers up during Capital of Culture year
This summer, Tartu accommodated 7 percent more tourists than last summer – including as many as 15 percent more foreign tourists, Statistics Estonia said. Tartu is one of three European Capitals of Culture in 2024.
A total of 80,272 guests were accommodated in Tartu during the summer months of June, July and August, spending a combined 131,224 nights in town, according to a press release.
This included a 15 percent increase on year in the number of foreign tourists, and 16 percent more overnight stays.
This summer saw German tourist numbers increase 78 percent, Lithuanian 69 percent, Finnish 6 percent and British tourist numbers by as much as 329 percent.
Mayor Urmas Klaas said that the European Capital of Culture year has provided a great opportunity to promote Tartu on an international level.
"The increase in the number of tourists – especially among foreigners – shows that the Capital of Culture Tartu 2024, with its program and message, spoke to people and went far," Klaas said.
This August, Tartu saw a total of 14,502 visitors – 13 percent more than in the same month last year – who stayed a combined 26,307 nights in town – up 22 percent on year.
Throughout the summer, domestic tourists stayed an average of 1.63 nights and foreign tourists 1.74 nights in town.
Room occupancy well above average
Tartu's room occupancy rate averaged 72 percent during the summer months, including 73 percent in August, 75 percent in July and 69 percent in June.
Only Tallinn surpassed Tartu's room occupancy rates this summer, with 77 percent in August, 81 percent in July and 75 percent in June. Estonia's overall average room occupancy rate for the summer months, meanwhile, totaled 57 percent.
As of August 2024, there were 36 registered accommodation establishments in Tartu, including 1,108 rooms and 2,312 beds. The city's 36 accommodation establishments account for 3 percent of all of Estonia's accommodation establishments.
217,258 guests were accommodated throughout Southern Estonia during the summer months this year, who spent a total of 390,668 nights at accommodation establishments.
Throughout Estonia, a total of 1,353,368 guests stayed at accommodation establishments, spending a total of 2,480,498 nights in Estonia. Nearly 16 percent of all overnight stays took place in Southern Estonia.
--
Follow ERR News on Facebook and Twitter and never miss an update!
Editor: Aili Vahtla