Foreign tourist inflow ebbs by 5% in June

The growth in the number of nights spent by foreign tourists at Finnish accommodation establishments halted in May and decreased further in June 2018.

About 590,000 nights spent were recorded for foreign visitors, which was 4.8 per cent lower than one year earlier, according to Statistics Finland.

In contrast, the number of nights spent by resident tourists increased by 4.5 per cent and they overnighted almost 1.6 million times at accommodation establishments.

In all, close on 2.2 million overnight stays were recorded at Finnish accommodation establishments, which was 1.8 per cent more than in June 2017. These figures are preliminary data from Statistics Finland’s statistics on accommodation establishments and they have been collected from accommodation establishments with at least 20 beds or caravan pitches with electricity connection.

Finnish accommodation establishments recorded around 28,000 overnight stays for both British and Chinese visitors. The overnight stays of British visitors decreased by 20.9 per cent and those of Chinese visitors by 24.2 per cent from last year's June. The number of recorded nights spent by British visitors was highest in Uusimaa, nearly 19,000. Overnight stays by Chinese tourists took place mainly in Uusimaa, where slightly under 23,000 overnight stays were recorded for them. Good 318,000 overnight stays by foreign tourists were recorded in Uusimaa, which was 5.9 per cent lower than twelve months earlier. The share of Uusimaa in all nights spent by foreign visitors was 54 per cent.

Germans were the largest group of foreign tourists with 75,000 stays, although their overnight stays fell by 10.0 per cent from last year. Swedes were the second biggest group and good 56,000 overnight stays were recorded for them at Finnish accommodation establishments, which was 7.1 per cent lower than one year before. Russians were third around 55,000 nights spent. The number of their overnight stays was 2.7 per cent lower than in June 2017. In contrast, overnight stays recorded for visitors from the United States increased by 3.1 per cent and they retained their fourth position with nearly 38,000 overnight stays.

Nights spent by visitors from almost all the most important countries of inbound tourism to Finland decreased in June. In addition to those already mentioned above, the number of nights spent by Spanish tourists declined by 18.1 per cent and those by Italian visitors by 15.7 per cent from last year. Apart from visitors from the United States, overnight stays from the most important countries of tourism increased for only Norwegian, Estonian and Swiss tourists. Overnight stays by Norwegians grew by 11.3 per cent, Estonian 1.0 and those by Swiss tourists by 1.2 per cent.

Examined by region, the total number of overnight stays increased in June most in Päijät-Häme, up by 13.1 per cent. Overnight stays increased by 8.0 per cent in Varsinais-Suomi and by 6.6 per cent in Kanta-Häme. In Central Finland and Pohjois-Savo the growth amounted to five to six per cent. In contrast, the total number of overnight stays decreased in Ostrobothnia, by 10.7 per cent and in North Karelia, by 3.6 per cent. Overnight stays in the whole country increased in all by 1.8 per cent from last year.