Finns trips to Canary Islands, Central Europe increase

Finnish residents travelled in Finland slightly more in the first four months of 2017 than in last year's spring, according to Statistics Finland.

Of Finnish destinations, Lapland and Pirkanmaa grew in popularity. Leisure trips abroad also increased when compared to the corresponding period last year.

Increasingly more of the Finns who travelled abroad in the first four months of the year made trips to conventional travel destinations, like the Canary Islands in Spain or Central Europe.

In the first four months of 2017, Finnish residents aged 15 to 84 made 11.2 million trips when all domestic and foreign leisure trips, as well as business and professional trips are included. In addition to trips with overnight stay, the number also includes same-day trips abroad.

Altogether, seven million domestic leisure trips with overnight stay were made in the January to April period. Of these, good five million were trips with free accommodation. Trips with overnight stay at paid accommodation numbered nearly two million and their most popular destinations were located in Uusimaa, Lapland, Pirkanmaa and North Ostrobothnia. The numbers of trips to Uusimaa, Lapland and Pirkanmaa increased from the corresponding period of the previous year.

April was the most popular month for travelling in Finland in the early part of the year, as then, 0.5 million domestic trips with paid accommodation and 1.6 million trips with free accommodation were made. Of these trips made in April, 23 per cent were made either to North Ostrobothnia or Lapland.

Inclusive of trips with overnight stay in the destination country, cruises and same-day trips, leisure trips abroad numbered 2.5 million in the January to April period. A total of 1.9 million leisure trips abroad included overnight stay in the destination country. In January to April, 0.4 million cruises with overnight stay on board only were made. In the early part of the year, 0.3 million same-day leisure trips were made. Of these, one-half were same-day cruises to Estonia.

During the first four months of the year, leisure trips to our neighbouring countries numbered 640,000 to Estonia and 470,000 to Sweden. Trips to Sweden with overnight stay in the destination country and overnight cruises decreased slightly from one year ago. By contrast, same-day trips to Sweden increased.

Estonia is the number one favourite for Finns all the year round. In early 2017, trips to Estonia with overnight stay in the destination country increased and overnight and same-day cruises remained almost on level with the corresponding period last year.

In the early part of the year, 330,000 trips were headed to Spain, of which 63 per cent to the Canary Islands. The number of trips to the Canary Islands went up by 18 per cent. During the first four months of the year, 120,000 trips were made to Continental Spain and the Balearic Islands, which was fewer than in January to April 2016. March was the most popular of the four months to travel to the Canary Islands and April to Continental Spain.