Tourists from abroad are hesitant to travel to Estonia

🌐 Estonia Tourism Rises, Yet Falls Short of Pre-Pandemic Levels 🌐

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In 2024, the number of foreign tourists visiting Estonia surged by a whopping 11% compared to the year prior. Despite this growth, the total number of tourists remains a substantial 400,000 less than the pre-pandemic levels[1].

According to Statistics Estonia, Estonian accommodations welcomed 3.6 million tourists in 2024, with 1.86 million foreign travelers[1] and nearly 1.76 million domestic visitors[1]. Helga Laurmaa, a leading analyst at the statistics agency, shared insights about these figures. Alas, the boom in foreign tourist numbers is but a fraction of the 2019 record[1].

Compared to 2023, foreign tourist numbers showed a considerable increase, with a mere 11% more foreign tourists in 2024[1]. However, when compared to the pre-pandemic year of 2019, the number of accommodated foreign tourists dropped dramatically, by almost 400,000[1]. On a positive note, domestic tourist numbers slowly increased by over 200,000[1] since 2019.

🇫🇮 Finnish Tourists Flock to Estonia, Followed by Latvians

Estonia saw nearly 700,000 Finnish visitors in 2024, a number similar to that of 2023, but still 13% less than in 2019 (pre-pandemic)[1]. Meanwhile, Latvia registered over 250,000 tourists in 2024, a 9% increase from 2023 and a striking 37% increase since 2019[1].

Rounding out the top five countries for arrivals were Germany (117,000), Lithuania (81,000), and the UK (70,000)[1]. These stats demonstrate the ever-growing popularity of Estonia among tourists from its neighboring nations.

🏨 Harju County Becomes Tourist Hotspot

Harju County, home to the capital Tallinn, remains the top choice for tourists, attracting 73% of foreign visitors and 29% of domestic tourists[2]. Other popular destinations include Pärnu, Tartu, Ida-Viru, and Saare counties, indicating a diverse range of attractions for travelers.

Tourists in Harju County spend around €53 per overnight stay[2], followed by €52 in Laäne-Viru County and €48 in Saare County, revealing the varying costs of accommodation throughout Estonia[2]. Interestingly, the cost of a guest night is relatively consistent across other counties, such as Ida-Viru (€46), Laäne and Valga counties (€44), Pärnu County (€44), and Tartu County (€41)[2].

Sources:[1] Statistic Estonia:https://www.stat.ee/en/pressroom/news/estonian-hotels-and-other-accommodations-hosted-36-million-tourists-in-2024[2] Visit Estonia:https://www.visitestonia.com/en/tourism-statistics[3] Statistics Estonia, February 2025:https://www.stat.ee/en/pressroom/news/number-of-foreign-and-domestic-tourist-nights-in-estonia-in-february-2025-was-16-percent-above-the-level-in-february-2024-but-still-8-percent-lower-than-february-2020[4] Statistic Estonia, March 2025:https://www.stat.ee/en/pressroom/news/average-nightly-expenditure-of-overseas-tourists-in-estonia-in-march-2025-increased-by-26-compared-to-the-same-month-the-year-before[5] Statistics Estonia, April 2025:https://www.stat.ee/en/pressroom/news/almost-48000-tourists-came-to-estonia-from-finland-in-early-april-making-up-45-of-all-foreign-guests-paramarine-followed-by-18000-tourists-from-latvia-and-4500-from-uk

Despite a significant increase of 11% in foreign tourism to Estonia in 2024, the number of tourists still falls short by 400,000 when compared to pre-pandemic levels, according to Statistics Estonia.
In 2024, Estonian accommodations welcomed 3.6 million tourists, with nearly 1.86 million foreign travelers and 1.76 million domestic visitors, as per the statistics agency.
Estonia saw nearly 700,000 Finnish visitors in 2024, a 13% decrease from the pre-pandemic levels, while Latvia registered over 250,000 tourists in 2024, a 37% increase since 2019.
Harju County, home to the capital Tallinn, remains the top choice for tourists, attracting 73% of foreign visitors and 29% of domestic tourists in 2024.
In 2025, the average nightly expenditure of overseas tourists in Estonia increased by 26% compared to the same month the previous year, based on statistics from Statistics Estonia.