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Published: 8 February 2017

Leisure trips to the Canary Islands and cruises to Sweden increased in September to December 2016

According to Statistics Finland’s preliminary data, nearly as many leisure trips abroad were made in September to December 2016 as in the previous year. Finnish residents went on cruises to Sweden more often in the autumn season than in the corresponding period of the previous year and trips to Spain's Canary Islands also increased from the year before. The number of domestic leisure trips was equal to one year earlier.

Finns' leisure trips by type of trip in September to December 2012 to 2016* (excl. domestic trips with free accommodation)

Finns' leisure trips by type of trip in September to December 2012 to 2016* (excl. domestic trips with free accommodation)

In the last four months of 2016, Finnish residents aged 15 to 84 made 13.0 million trips when all domestic and foreign leisure trips, as well as business and professional trips are included. In addition to trips with overnight stay, the number also includes same-day trips abroad.

Altogether, 7.8 million domestic leisure trips with overnight stay were made in the September to December period. Of these, 6.0 million were trips with free accommodation. Leisure trips with overnight stay at paid accommodation numbered 1.8 million and their most popular destinations were Uusimaa, Pirkanmaa, North Ostrobothnia and Lapland.

Uusimaa kept its top position as the region of travel. The numbers of trips to Pirkanmaa and North Ostrobothnia increased from the corresponding period of the previous year.

Inclusive of trips with overnight stay in the destination country, cruises and same-day trips, leisure trips abroad numbered 2.5 million in the September to December period. The number of leisure trips abroad remained almost on level with the previous year's autumn. November was the most popular month for overnight cruises.

Leisure trips to Estonia decreased somewhat from autumn 2015. December was the most popular month of the period to visit Estonia. In turn, leisure trips to Sweden increased from the previous year’s autumn. The most favoured month for travelling to Sweden in late 2016 was November.

Spain is a long-standing favourite for Finns during the autumn months as well, and 10 per cent more trips were made to Spain than in the corresponding period in 2015. In all, 140,000 of these trips were headed to the Canary Islands. Continental Spain has also established its place as a destination for Finnish travel in the last four months of the year, and 130,000 trips were made to Continental Spain and the Balearic Islands in September to December. December was the most popular of the four months to travel to the Canary Islands and October to Continental Spain.

The number of trips to northern Mediterranean countries remained at the same level as one year earlier, but the focus of trips moved to Western Mediterranean countries.

The number of trips to Central Europe increased slightly compared with the previous year's autumn. In Central Europe, Germany increased its popularity.

If we examine only leisure trips with overnight stay in the destination country, slightly fewer trips, or 1.8 million, were made than in September to December 2015. October was the most popular month for these, as then the number of trips abroad with overnight stay in the destination country was 0.5 million.

One-quarter of the trips with overnight stay in the destination country were headed to Estonia and one-fifth to the northern coast of the Mediterranean.

In addition to leisure trips, 1.6 million domestic business or professional trips were made. Business or professional trips abroad (inclusive of trips with overnight stay in the destination country, cruises and same-day trips) numbered 0.9 million. The number of business trips both in Finland and abroad increased from the year before.

These data derive from Statistics Finland's Finnish Travel survey, for which altogether 4,879 Finnish residents aged 15 to 84 were interviewed in October, November and December 2016 and in January 2017. Until 2011, data were collected from those aged 15 to 74.


Source: Finnish Travel, Statistics Finland

Inquiries: Taru Tamminen 029 551 2243, liikenne.matkailu@stat.fi

Director in charge: Mari Ylä-Jarkko

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Updated 8.2.2017

Referencing instructions:

Official Statistics of Finland (OSF): Finnish Travel [e-publication].
ISSN=1798-9027. Autumn (1.9.-31.12) 2016. Helsinki: Statistics Finland [referred: 29.3.2024].
Access method: http://www.stat.fi/til/smat/2016/15/smat_2016_15_2017-02-08_tie_001_en.html