Decline in summer tourism numbers

Hotels report fewer overnights among Finnish and foreign guests

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Chilly weather and expensive petrol have taken their toll on tourism in Finland. The travel figures for the past summer showed negative growth across the board.
      Over the period from June through July, the number of nights spent in hotels and similar establishments was down by some per cent from the same period last year. The overnight numbers of both domestic and foreign tourists declined.
     
The Finnish Tourist Board (MEK) has issued tourism statistics data for the summer season, excluding August. However, the August figures are estimated to show the same decline as the earlier summer months, says research manager Tom Ylkänen from MEK.
      ”High petrol prices, economic uncertainty, and the expensive euro all contributed to the negative results in both June and July. However, the number of overnights was higher in August than that in June”, Ylkänen reports.
      ”Considering the entire summer season 2008, the percentage change in the number of nights spent in hotels and similar establishments was negative. Over the period from June through July, the change was -3 % to -4 %, and the figures for the entire summer are likely to show an identical negative growth."
     
When it comes to foreign tourists, for example Norwegians and Britons appear to have reduced their travelling to Finland.
      In the summer of 2008, there was a shortage of domestic tourists particularly in the Finnish lake district. While July saw no increase in the number of domestic travellers compared with the same period last year, in June the growth rate was slightly negative.
      The decline in the number of tourists is an unfortunate setback, as attempts to increase tourism in the entire country have been continued for many years.
      In fact, Ylkänen estimates that Finland’s domestic tourism has shown a favourable trend in recent years.
     
Over the period from January through June, the overnight number of domestic tourists increased by 4.4 %.
      Hotel occupancy rates in the entire country were 56% in June, 58.5% in July, and 53% over the first half of the year.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Wet and chilly summer weather was unpredictable (2.9.2008)
  Good year for tourism in Helsinki in spite of cool and rainy July (5.8.2008)

Links:
  Finnish Tourist Board (MEK)

Helsingin Sanomat