Number of tourists accommodated in Estonia in 2018 up 1% on year
According to information released by Statistics Estonia on Friday, a total of 3.6 million domestic and foreign tourists stayed in the accommodation establishments of Estonia in 2018, 1% more than in 2017. Last year, the overall number of domestic tourists increased and the number of foreign tourists decreased.
Last year, a total of 1.45 million domestic tourists and 2.14 million foreign tourists used the services of accommodation establishments, increasing 4% and decreasing 1% on year, respectively. The number of Finnish tourists, who accounted for 39% of the total number of foreign tourists in accommodation establishments, decreased by 9% compared to 2017, but the number of tourists from several EU countries increased, and there were also more tourists from Russia and Asian countries.
70% of foreign tourists to stay at Estonian accommodation establishments last year were on holiday, 23% were travelling for business and the rest had some other reason for visiting Estonia. Of domestic tourists, 64% of domestic tourists were on a holiday trip and 23% on a business trip.
In December 2018, a total of 152,000 foreign tourists stayed at Estonian accommodation establishments, down 3% on year. Compared to December 2017, the number of tourists to from Finland and Russia decreased by 11% and 6%, respectively. On the other hand, the country saw an 11% increase in the number of tourists from Latvia, as well as an uptick in tourists from several other European countries, including Lithuania, the UK, Sweden and Germany.
77% of foreign tourists stayed at the accommodation establishments of Tallinn, while another 7% stayed at the accommodation establishments of Pärnu and 5% in Tartu. 67% of foreign tourists were in Estonia on holiday, while 26% were travelling for business.
Last December, a total of 121,000 domestic tourists stayed at Estonian accommodation establishments, 7% more than in December of the previous year. 64% of domestic tourists were on holiday, while another 23% were travelling for business. 30% of accommodated domestic tourists stayed at the accommodation establishments of Harju County, while another 15% each stayed in Pärnu and Tartu Counties.
A total of 950 accommodation establishments offered their services in December 2018, including 20,000 rooms and 45,000 bed places at occupancy rates of 43% and 35%, respectively. The average cost of a guest night was €40, up €3 compared to December 2017.
Editor: Aili Vahtla
