Analytics, Covid-19, Estonia, EU – Baltic States, Tourism, Transport

During the second quarter of 2020, residents of Estonia made 421,600 domestic trips with an overnight stay and 36,177 foreign trips involving an overnight stay. The respective numbers for the first six months of the year were approximately 800,000 and slightly less than 300,000.

During the 12 months of 2019, over 3.4 million domestic trips with an overnight stay and 1.7 million foreign trips were made by residents of Estonia. 

Katriin Polluaar, analyst at Statistics Estonia, said that the reduction in the numbers of domestic and foreign trips was in line with expectations for the tourism sector, considering the complex circumstances of the first half of 2020. 

Travel within Estonia was mainly done for the purpose of leisure, and friends and acquaintances were visited. Of the domestic trips with an overnight stay 86% involved up to three overnight stays.

"In the case of more than half of the domestic trips one stayed with acquaintances or relatives. On the average, 127 euros was spent per trip, which is seven euros more than in the second quarter of last year," the analyst said.

Where the number of domestic trips increased in comparison with the first quarter of the year, the number of international trips declined significantly. The biggest proportion of international trips involved up to three overnight stays. The average size of expenditure per trip was 470 euros, which included 143 euros spent on food and beverages and 136 euros spent on accommodation.