Number of accommodated tourists up two percent in July
According to information released by Statistics Estonia on Wednesday, 498,000 domestic and foreign tourists stayed at accommodation establishments in Estonia this July, up two percent on year.
Last month, a total of 312,000 foreign tourists and 186,000 domestic tourists utilized the services of accommodation establishments in Estonia. Fewer foreign tourists stayed in accommodation establishments than in July of the previous year, but domestic tourist numbers saw an eight percent increase on year. The number of foreign tourists was mainly affected by a nine percent decrease in the number of Finnish tourists; four percent fewer tourists came from Germany as well. At the same time, 13 percent more Russian tourists and seven percent more Latvian tourists stayed at Estonian accommodation establishments, and the number of tourists from Asian countries, Sweden, Spain and the U.K. increased as well.
188,000 foreign tourists, accounting for 60 percent of the foreign tourists who utilized accommodation services, stayed at the accommodation establishments of Tallinn. The second most popular destination was Pärnu, accounting for 12 percent of all accommodated foreign tourists, followed by Tartu, which accounted for seven percent of the accommodated foreign tourists. Saare County accounted for five percent and Ida-Viru County for four percent of foreign tourists who used accommodation services. 80 percent of foreign tourists to stay in Estonia were on vacation, while 13 percent on a business trip.
37 percent of the customers of accommodation establishments were domestic tourists, 71 percent of whom were on vacation and 14 percent of whom were traveling for business. 19 percent of accommodated domestic tourists stayed in Harju County, 15 percent in Pärnu County, ten percent in Ida-Viru County and nine percent each in Tartu and Saare Counties.
This July, 1,364 accommodation establishments offered services for tourists, offering a total of 24,000 rooms and 57,000 beds at an occupancy rate of 61 and 53 percent, respectively.
The average cost of a guest night in Estonia was €38, €4 more than last July. The average cost jumped to €46 in Harju County and €40 in Pärnu County, but dropped to €32 in Saare County, €31 in Tartu County and €30 in Ida-Viru County.
Editor: Aili Vahtla
