In 2023, Estonia welcomed nearly 4 million foreign tourists who contributed 1.23 billion euros to the country’s economy during their visits, according to the latest data published by the Bank of Estonia.
The statistical report reveals that foreign arrivals in Estonia reached 3,947,299 trips last year, marking a significant increase of 13 per cent from the previous year, just under 3.5 million visits in 2022.
At the same time, foreign tourist spending in the country experienced notable growth, increasing by €178 million compared to last year, with total expenditure reaching €1.23 billion in 2023, up from €1.052 billion.
Estonian residents made over three million trips abroad in 2023, which was 13 per cent more than in 2022 but 16 per cent fewer than in 2019.
Based on the data provided by the Bank of Estonia, the same year saw a significant flow of tourists, with 85 per cent coming from the countries of the European Union, representing an increase of 17 per cent compared to the previous year.
Finland Dominates Tourism in Estonia With 21% Increase in 2023 Visits
The largest number of visitors to Estonia in 2023 was made up of Finns, with a total of 1,750,000, marking an increase of 21 per cent from 2022.
In contrast, visits from countries outside the EU witnessed a slight decrease of five per cent. However, the United Kingdom emerged as the leading non-EU source country with 128,000 visitors, reflecting a 25 per cent increase compared to the previous year.
Further data also show that day trippers comprised a significant part of the tourism landscape, accounting for 39 per cent of all visits, totalling 200,000 more than a year ago.
At the same time, overnight stays also saw a marked increase, growing by 11 per cent, with each visit averaging 3.4 nights.
In addition, most outbound trips from Estonia, accounting for 77 per cent, were destined for EU countries, reflecting an 11 per cent increase from last year.
Finland remained a popular destination, witnessing around 536,000 visits from Estonians, an increase of nine per cent from 2022, followed by Latvia with 455,000 visits, marking an increase of 15 per cent.
Meanwhile, visits to countries outside the EU saw a significant increase of 20 per cent yearly. Russia emerged as the most visited destination with 145,000 visits, followed by Türkiye with 110,000 visits.
The trend of one-day visits abroad also increased by 15 per cent, accounting for 17 per cent of total visits. Similarly, stays abroad saw an increase of 290,000 visits, with each visit lasting an average of 3.6 nights.
