13 percent more tourists staying in Estonia last year
09.02.2012, 11:50According to Statistics Estonia, in 2011, 13% more tourists stayed in accommodation establishments of Estonia than a year earlier. In the last month of the year, the number of tourists exceeded the respective indicator of December 2010 by 12%.
In 2011, a total of 2.7 million domestic and foreign tourists stayed in accommodation establishments. Compared to 2010, the number of foreign tourists increased by 16% and the number of domestic tourists by 10%. Foreign tourists still account for two thirds of the total number of accommodated tourists. 79% of the foreign tourists who used the services of accommodation establishments arrived from the European Union Member States, of whom more than a half came from Finland. 74% of foreign tourists and 18% of domestic tourists preferred the services of accommodation establishments of Tallinn.
In 2011, 918,000 domestic tourists stayed in accommodation establishments, though more than in 2010, but less than in 2007 and 2008, the record years for domestic tourism of the past decade. A quarter of domestic tourists stayed in accommodation establishments of Harju county, 13% of Pärnu county, 11% of Tartu county and 10% of Ida-Viru county.
In December, 125,000 foreign tourists used the services of accommodation establishments of Estonia, or 14% more than in December 2010. Most of tourists came from neighbouring countries – Finland, Russia, Latvia and Sweden. In the last month of the year 72,000 Estonian residents stayed in accommodation establishments or 8% more than in the same month of the previous year. 53% of accommodated domestic tourists were on holiday and 30% on a business trip. 747 accommodation establishments with 16,800 rooms and 36,900 beds were available for tourists. The room occupancy rate was 38% and the bed occupancy rate was 32%. The average cost of a guest night in an accommodation establishment was 30 euros, being 3 euros more expensive than in December 2010