The number of Estonian residents travelling to warm countries rose in the first quarter

Postitatud:

09.05.2017

There were more than one million visits to Estonia by foreign residents in the first quarter of 2017, which was 6% more than in the same quarter of 2016. The biggest increase was in the number of tourists from Russia, who made 22,000 more visits to Estonia than a year before. The number of visitors from Russia who stayed overnight was up 14%. They accounted for one fifth of the total number of overnight visits, which is the largest share for three years.

The number of European Union residents visiting Estonia was up by 5%. There were slightly more visitors from Finland than a year earlier and they accounted for 40% of the total. Visitor numbers from each of the United Kingdom, France, Latvia and China were up by more than one tenth, while there were 10% fewer visitors from each of Norway, South Korea and Belarus.

A little over half, or more precisely 54%, of visitors to Estonia stayed overnight, and their stay on average was the same length as a year earlier at 4.2 days. It is estimated that overnight visitors spent a total of 150 million euros in Estonia, and same-day visitors spent 50 million euros. Both of these figures were up 5%.

In the first quarter of 2017, residents of Estonia made some 840,000 visits to foreign countries, which was 4% more than a year earlier1. There were 5% more overnight visits, and their average length was 3.7 days. Same-day trips accounted for 14% of the total, and they did not change in number over the year.

As usual, residents of Estonia visited Finland the most, making 160,000 visits there, a number that has not changed over the year.

One visit in five was made outside the European Union. Having fallen for several years, the number of visits by Estonian residents to Egypt rose by one third. The number of trips to Thailand, another popular holiday destination, was up 14%. More visits were made than last year to Ukraine, Bulgaria and Spain, but there were 7% fewer trips to Norway and 12% fewer to Russia.

Visitors from Estonia to foreign countries spent an estimated total of 155 million euros.


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

The movement of travellers has a noticeable effect on the export and import of travel services in the Estonian balance of payments. The balance of payments statistics for the first quarter of 2017 will be published on 8 June.

International travel statistics

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