Foreign tourists spent EUR 1 billion euros less in Estonia last year than they did in 2019 after the collapse of the tourism industry caused by COVID-19, data from the Bank of Estonia showed.
In 2020, foreign tourists spent EUR 410 million in Estonia, down by EUR 1 billion euros YoY.
Only a third of the number of tourists who visited Estonia from the European Union in 2019 did so in 2020. Visitors from countries outside the European Union accounted for only 19% of the total number of visits.
Every second tourist was Finnish, but there was a 63% drop in tourism from Finland. The number of Latvian and Lithuanian tourists fell by 50%.
The number of single-day visits decreased by 2 million and accounted for 40% of the total number of visits. There were 70% fewer multi-day visits but the average stay increased to four nights.
Estonian residents made 60% fewer trips to European Union countries and every fourth trip was to Finland, although these decreased by 50%.
There were 37% fewer trips to Latvia.
The number of same-day visits decreased by 65% and accounted for 14% of the total number of visits. The number of multi-day trips was 2 million, or 63% less, and one trip lasted for an average of four nights. (ERR/Business World Magazine)
