Fewer Finns visit next-door countries this summer

While the number of trips made by Finnish tourists to Southern Europe posted a year-on-year rise this summer, fewer Finns visited Estonia, Sweden, and Russia.

According to the preliminary data of Statistics Finland, the number of trips made by Finnish residents inside Finland and abroad remained unchanged in May to August 2017 compared to the corresponding period in 2016. However, in that period, particularly in July, more Finnish residents travelled to the Southern Europe than one year ago. On the other hand, the number of trips with overnight stays to Estonia was lower than that in the previous summer.

Finnish residents made a total of 3.4 million leisure trips abroad in May to August. The figure includes trips with overnight stays in the destination country, cruises, and same-day trips. Of those leisure trips, 2.7 million included overnight stays in the destination country. In all, 0.3 million cruises were made with overnight stays on board only. Nearly all the cruises were made to Sweden or Estonia.

In May to August, another 0.3 million same-day leisure trips were made, with same-day cruises to Estonia accounting for two-thirds of the figure.

The summer leisure trips were made mostly by air or boats. The number of trips by sea was 1.4 million and that by air was 1.5 million. A total of 0.3 million trips were made by car across the Finnish borders.

July was the most popular month for travelling abroad during this summer. In that month, the number of trips with overnight stays in the destination countries grew by 20 per cent from July 2016. The number of trips to the Southern Europe in July saw a more than 60 per cent rise year-on-year, with a record number of 230,000 trips made to the Mediterranean beaches.

Leisure trips to Estonia decreased from summer 2016. Trips with overnight stays to the southern neighbour numbered 640,000, overnight cruises 130,000 and same-day cruises 230,000. The number of same-day cruises increased from the corresponding period last year, while that of overnight cruises remained unchanged, and of trips including overnight stays in the destination country went down.

Leisure trips to Sweden also decreased slightly from summer 2016. The number of trips with overnight stays in the destination country to our western neighbour was 380,000 and of overnight cruises 190,000 this summer.

Leisure trips to Russia also witnessed a slide from that in the corresponding period of the previous year. Leisure trips made to the Central Europe increased. The number of trips made to the western Central Europe was 330,000, of which 110,000 were made to the United Kingdom. The number of trips made to the eastern Central Europe was 210,000.