According to Statistics Finland's survey, Finnish residents made 8.2 million different leisure trips abroad in 2018. Finnish residents’ travel to Estonia decreased clearly, but Southern Europe increased its popularity as a leisure destination. The number of various domestic leisure trips was 38 million. Domestic business trips decreased, but the number of business trips abroad grew.
Finnish residents' leisure trips abroad decreased slightly from the year before. The biggest reason for the fall was Estonia to which considerably fewer trips were made in 2018 than in the year before. Despite the strong decrease in travel, it retained its unswerving top position as a travel destination for Finns. Leisure trips to our western neighbour Sweden remained on level with the previous year, but trips to our eastern neighbour Russia decreased from the year before.
Among customary Southern European favourites, Italy and Croatia increased their appeal.
The number of trips heading outside Europe increased slightly. More tourists than before headed to the American continent and Asia and particularly the favourite Asian country, Thailand, received more Finnish tourists than in the previous year.
Source: Statistics Finland.
The number of domestic trips with paid accommodation remained on level with the previous year. Nearly seven million of these trips were made in 2018. Short trips lasting under four nights decreased, but the number of trips with at least four nights increased from the previous year. As expected, summer months were the most popular time to travel in Finland.
One-fifth of trips with paid accommodation were made to the region of Uusimaa. The next most popular regions were Pirkanmaa and Lapland. The most popular towns were Helsinki, Tampere and Turku.
Compared with the previous year, nights spent at hotels and rented cottages increased somewhat from the previous year.
The most popular destination for trips with free accommodation was also Uusimaa. The next most popular destinations with free accommodation were Pirkanmaa and North Ostrobothnia.
The most popular destination regions for day trips in Finland were Uusimaa, Pirkanmaa and Southwest Finland. The most popular towns were Helsinki, Tampere and Turku.
The number of business trips in Finland decreased and abroad increased compared with the previous year.
Leisure trips of an average Finn in 2018:
1.5 domestic leisure trips with paid accommodation,
2.7 domestic same-day trips,
1.4 trips abroad with overnight stay in the country of destination,
0.4 same-day trips abroad or cruises to neighbouring areas.
