Estonia Foreign Tourism Struggles At Fifteen Percent Below Pre-covid Levels As Finnish Visitors Decline, But Growth Emerges From Latvia And The U.s.

Published on September 11, 2025

International tourism successful Estonia is still 15 percent down pre-COVID times, chiefly because location has been a driblet successful Finnish tourists. While nan remainder of Europe has recovered afloat from nan pandemic successful position of numbers of tourists, Estonia is pursuing a different pattern. Finnish visitors, who historically relationship for 42 percent of visitors visiting nan nation, person dropped by 7 percent successful 2024 from past year. The diminution is chiefly hitting Tallinn, nan superior metropolis of Estonia, wherever Finnish visitors person been importantly less this year.

Finnish Tourists Drive nan Decline successful Tallinn

Tallinn has played nan biggest domiciled successful nan decline of overseas tourism, particularly erstwhile it comes to Finnish travelers. In July, overnight stays by Finnish visitors were down by an alarming 19 percent compared to nan aforesaid period past year. Despite this drop, Finnish tourism extracurricular Tallinn saw a 12 percent increase, signaling that while Finns are still visiting Estonia, they are opting to research regions beyond nan capital.

Anneli Lepp, nan caput of tourism astatine nan Estonian Business and Innovation Agency, explained that contempt nan diminution successful Tallinn, Finnish tourism successful regions for illustration Harju County saw affirmative growth. According to Lepp, Tallinn hosted galore major world events this summer, and it’s imaginable that immoderate Finnish visitors chose to enactment extracurricular nan superior owed to precocious bookings.

The Shifting Focus: Regional Travel Growth

Interestingly, nan inclination of Finnish visitors choosing other regions successful Estonia, alternatively than conscionable nan capital, is becoming much pronounced. As Lepp highlighted, nan number of Finns choosing to enactment extracurricular Tallinn has accrued by 12 percent successful July. Despite this, nan inclination of visitors venturing outside Tallinn has slowed crossed nan board. More visitors are opting for nan convenience of staying successful nan capital, pinch newer root markets specified arsenic Latvia showing expanding liking successful Estonia post-COVID.

In nan past, Latvians tended to sojourn places for illustration Tartu and Pärnu, but now much are exploring Tallinn, marking a displacement successful visitant patterns. Lepp noted that Latvia’s increasing liking successful Tallinn is simply a notable inclination successful post-pandemic tourism.

Changing Tourist Motives: Beyond Cheap Prices

The decline successful Finnish tourists seeking Estonia chiefly for its cheap prices is besides a important trend. According to Lepp, nan proportionality of Finns coming to Estonia chiefly for affordability is gradually shrinking. While prices successful Estonia person risen successful immoderate areas, they still stay comparatively little than successful Finland, particularly successful accommodation. For example, hotel rates successful Pärnu were higher than those successful Helsinki successful July, but Finns still chose to visit, indicating that Estonia’s worth proposition remains charismatic contempt value increases.

Lepp suggested that higher prices must beryllium accompanied by improved service quality to proceed attracting visitors, peculiarly Finnish tourists who are now looking for much than conscionable budget-friendly options. As nan request for quality tourism experiences increases, Estonia has an opportunity to cater to Finns looking for much than conscionable low-cost travel.

The Role of Spa Hotels successful Pärnu’s Resilience

In nan look of these challenges, Pärnu, known arsenic Estonia’s summer capital, continues to execute well. According to Andrus Aljas, caput of Estonia Spa Hotels, this summertime has been normal contempt nan upwind and value increases. The spa hotels successful Pärnu person seen accordant demand, particularly from Finnish visitors, who admit nan region’s unsocial attractions, specified arsenic sandy beaches and beautiful seaside. Aljas emphasized that Pärnu’s position arsenic a premier summertime destination allows nan metropolis to complaint a spot much than different parts of Estonia, pinch Finnish tourists consenting to salary for nan quality experience it offers.

Outlook: Quality complete Price arsenic nan Key to Tourism Recovery

While Finnish tourism has faced a flimsy decline, Estonia’s tourism assemblage has nan chance to turn successful different ways. Latvia, Germany, Lithuania, and nan United States person each shown clear maturation successful tourism, though their numbers are still smaller compared to Finnish tourists. The cardinal for Estonia will beryllium to balance rising prices pinch improved work quality to support its competitory edge. This displacement towards attracting visitors seeking quality experiences alternatively than conscionable affordability is expected to style Estonia’s tourism strategy going forward.

The attraction should beryllium connected processing nan tourism experience successful regions for illustration Pärnu, Harju County, and Tallinn, making them charismatic not conscionable for their affordability but for nan value and quality they offer. This could thief Estonia retrieve from nan existent dip successful tourism and fortify its position arsenic a destination for discerning travelers, particularly those from Finland and different neighboring countries.

Adjusting to a New Era successful Tourism for Estonia

Estonia’s tourer figures stay little than pre-COVID times, but nan image is acold from dismal. The driblet successful Finns is compensated by rises among visitors from nan likes of Latvia and America, indicating that Estonia remains a viable tourer destination. By prioritizing value complete value and ensuring that tourism successful nan regions prospers, Estonia tin meet nan situation of post-COVID tourism and create a much sustainable, varied tourism manufacture that will reward each regions.