During the summer months a lot of tourists stayed in accommodation establishments

In the high season of tourism, in June, July and August, 710,000 foreign tourists or about 5,000 foreign tourists more than in the same period of the previous year used the services of accommodation establishments of Estonia. The majority of foreign tourists arrived in Estonia for a holiday trip and only 16% were on a business trip. More tourists than in the last summer arrived from neighbouring countries Russia and Latvia – 30% and 13%, respectively, as well as from several European, Asian and American countries. The share of Russian tourists in the total number of foreign tourists increased by two percentage points during the year. But the number of tourists from Finland decreased in all three summer months compared to the corresponding period of the previous year. Compared to the last summer, the number of foreign tourists from Sweden, the United Kingdom, Spain and Italy also decreased. Traditionally two thirds of the foreign tourists stayed in accommodation establishments of Tallinn, 12% in accommodation establishments of Pärnu county, and 6% of Tartu county.

In summer months, 343,000 domestic tourists or 10,000 more tourists than in the previous summer stayed in accommodation establishments. During the three summer months more than half of domestic tourists being accommodated during the eight months of 2012 stayed in accommodation establishments. 63% of accommodated domestic tourists were on a holiday and 21% on a business trip. A fifth of domestic tourists preferred the services of accommodation establishments of Harju county, 14% of Pärnu county and 10% of Ida-Viru county.

In August, 344,000 tourists stayed in accommodation establishments, of which 35% were domestic tourists. 4% more domestic tourists and 1% less foreign tourists than in the same month of the previous year used the services of accommodation establishments. 1,094 accommodation establishments with 21,000 rooms and 49,000 bed-places were available for tourists. The room occupancy rate was 54% and it was one percentage points smaller than in August last year. In August 2012, the average cost of a guest night in an accommodation establishment was 30 euros and it was two euros more expensive than in the same period of the previous year.