During the peak winter months from December to February, a total of 1.2 million trips were made to Finland. Photo: Juho Kuva / Visit Finland
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In the past year, from March 2023 to February 2024, Finland welcomed a significant influx of foreign tourists, with 4.7 million trips made to the country. According to the latest data from Visit Finland and Statistics Finland, these visitors spent an average of €807 per trip, totaling around €3.8 billion. The majority of these visits, 73%, were for leisure purposes, while the remaining 27% were business-related.
Throughout their stays, which totaled 46.7 million overnight stays including both registered and unregistered accommodations such as cottage rentals, short-term leases, and staying with relatives, the average length of stay for a holidaymaker was four days.
The expenditure by these international tourists in Finland encompasses a wide range of activities, from accommodations, dining in restaurants and cafes, fuel, transportation, cultural and recreational activities, to shopping and other expenses. This figure does not include the cost of travel to and from Finland.
The data also highlights that tourists visiting Finland in the winter months tend to spend more than those visiting in summer. Between December and February, 1.2 million trips were made with a total expenditure of €1.1 billion, averaging €916 per trip. In contrast, during the peak summer months from June to August, 1.6 million trips were made with tourists spending a total of €1.3 billion, averaging €801 per trip.
One of the notable findings is that winter tourists spend on average €115 more than summer tourists, a difference attributed in part to the higher prices of winter services and high demand that can be reflected in the pricing.
Pre-booking trends also differ between seasons, with winter vacations being booked on average 3.4 months in advance, compared to 2.3 months for summer vacations. The early booking for winter trips is partly due to a higher proportion of package tours, which make up about 21% of leisure trips in winter compared to only 5% in summer.
Visit Finland also tracks the carbon footprint of tourists, finding that the carbon footprint of international visitors is roughly the same in summer and winter, just over 460 kg per trip. This includes emissions from travel to and from Finland, local transportation, accommodations, and meals.
HT
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Source: www.helsinkitimes.fi
