Statistics Estonia: Impact of COVID now manifested in more expensive travel

TALLINN – Data from Statistics Estonia show that in 2023, residents of Estonia spent more on overnight trips abroad than in the pre-COVID period, with the average amount spent on an international trip increasing by 43 percent between 2018 and 2023.

"For our people, all kinds of travel have become more expensive since the crisis," analyst Sigrid Saagpakk said in a blog of Statistics Estonia. Looking at the pre-COVID years, holiday trips were the most expensive on average in 2018 at 838 euros, whereas in 2023 business trips were the most expensive, rising from 798 euros in 2018 to 1,280 euros in 2023. On average, people spent 1,150 euros on holiday trips in 2023. Trips to visit friends or relatives have consistently entailed the lowest average cost over the six years, the amount being 386 euros in 2018 and 537 euros in 2023.

Expenditure on domestic travel is notably lower compared to international trips. The average cost per domestic trip was 125 euros in 2018 and 179 euros in 2023. Generally, vacation trips cost more than business trips.

In 2023, tourists paid an average of 46 euros for accommodation per night, compared to 39 euros just before the pandemic.

"It's important to note that this includes all types of accommodation, regardless of whether the person stayed alone or with others, and whether they stayed in a hotel, guesthouse, or home accommodation," said Helga Laurmaa, leading analyst at Statistics Estonia. During 2020 and 2021, when tourism was limited due to COVID, the average cost per night was lower at 32 to 34 euros. Throughout these years, the most expensive place to stay was Tallinn, followed by Tartu.

The average cost of an overnight stay by county also depends on how many more expensive or cheaper places of accommodation are available in the county and how many visitors they get.

In 2018 and 2019, more than half of the clients of the accommodation establishments of Estonia were foreign tourists.

"Starting from March 2020, when the health crisis struck in Estonia and international travel was limited, Estonia's own residents came to the rescue of our accommodation establishments by using their services a lot," Laurmaa said. While in April and May 2020, there were very few visitors to accommodation establishments and many establishments were closed, already in July of that year the number of domestic tourists exceeded the level of 2019.

In 2018, there were 4.4 million domestic trips with overnight stays, and 3.5 million in 2019. The number dropped to 2.1 million during the COVID crisis. Gradual recovery has been a trend in the post-COVID period, but the number of domestic trips with overnight stays has so far not reached pre-COVID levels, hitting 3.2 million in 2023.

The five most visited destinations have remained the same throughout the six-year period. In terms of counties, international tourists preferred Harju County, including Tallinn. Next come the counties of Parnu, Tartu, and Saaremaa. Many tourists from Russia used to visit East-Viru County, but that market is now closed, Statistics Estonia added.