Estonian residents visited foreign countries a million times in the third quarter of 2016, which was about the same as in the third quarter of last year¹. One visit in five was made outside the European Union. The number of visits by Estonian residents to Turkey was down by half, and the number to France and the United Kingdom was down 14%. The number of visits to Greece increased meanwhile by 21%, to Ukraine by 20%, to Bulgaria by 12%, and to Croatia by 11%. Same-day visits accounted for 15% of the total, and there were a few more such visits than in the third quarter of last year. The number of overnight visits was down 1% and their average length was 3% shorter at 3.9 days than in the same period of 2015. Estonian residents spent an estimated 200 million euros abroad in the third quarter.

There were more than two million visits to Estonia by foreign residents in the third quarter of 2016, which was 3% more than in the same quarter of 2015. More than 700,000 visits were made from Finland, accounting for one third of the total. More visits were made to Estonia from all of the neighbouring countries than in the same period a year before. There was also a rise in the number of visits from Spain and from the USA, with numbers from both places up by a tenth from a year before. Every second visitor to Estonia stayed overnight, and the average length of the stay was the same as a year earlier at 4.5 days. Tourists visiting Estonia spent an estimated total of 430 million euros.

¹ The number of trips abroad and the number of visits to foreign countries are not the same, as one trip abroad may include visits to several different countries.

The foreign travel statistics are published on the Eesti Pank website.

For further information:
Tarass Snitsarenko
Eesti Pank Statistics Department
Telephone: 668 0906
Email: [email protected]