Statistics: Travel to Estonia continues to increase

TALLINN - A total of 775,208 visits were made to Estonia by foreign tourists in the first quarter of this year, an increase of 4 percent, including 480,000 multi-day trips, up 6 percent, data by the Bank of Estonia show.

Based on accommodation data from Statistics Estonia, overnight stays fell by 1 percent and the number of guests by 7 percent compared with the same period last year. The main reasons were the shift of Easter into April this year and the cooler spring weather.

Spending by foreign visitors, however, rose by 10 percent, which, according to Aleksandr Michelson, tourism adviser at the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications, confirms continued growth in tourism.

Michelson said that a comparison of the latest data from Statistics Estonia and the central bank for the first three months of 2025 shows that overall travel to Estonia continues to increase.

The data from the Bank of Estonia includes both one-day and multi-day visits by foreign tourists and does not distinguish where people stay overnight -- whether in large hotels, guest apartments, or with relatives or friends.

In the first quarter of 2025, the central bank recorded 775,000 visits by foreigners to Estonia, which is 4 percent more than the same period a year earlier. Of these, 480,000 were multi-day trips, a 6 percent increase. One-day trips accounted for 38 percent of all visits.

Statistics Estonia collects and publishes data only on overnight stays, and only from accommodation establishments with at least five beds. As a result, part of the overnight stay data is not captured.

Data from Statistics Estonia for March 2025 shows that foreign tourists spent approximately 214,000 nights in Estonia, 8 percent fewer than in March 2024. The number of guests in the first quarter of 2025 was 7 percent lower than in the same period in 2024.

The main reason for the decline in overnights and guests was the holiday calendar. This year, Good Friday and Easter fell in April, while last year they were in March.

The comparison between the central bank and Statistics Estonia data demonstrates that when analyzing trends, it is important to consider what the data actually measures. Accommodation data from businesses with at least five beds gives a clearer picture of the accommodation sector.

But when data from the Bank of Estonia is included, it provides a more comprehensive understanding of tourism as a whole. Each tourist chooses where to stay -- whether in a hotel, hostel, guest apartment, or with a relative or friend. Either way, they spend money in Estonia and contribute to local businesses. The solid 6 percent growth in multi-day visits shows Estonia remains an attractive destination for foreign visitors.

Michelson noted that it is also encouraging that, according to the central bank, foreign visitors, including both one-day and multi-day tourists, spent 266 million euros in Estonia in the first quarter of 2025. That is 10 percent more than during the same period a year earlier. This growth is more than twice the rate of inflation, meaning foreign visitors spent more in real terms.