Number of foreign guests serviced in Latvian accommodation establishments grows 12.6%

964.1 thousand visitors stayed at Latvian tourist accommodation establishments in Q3 2017, which is 11.8 % more than during the respective period of 2016. Compared to the previous year, the number of nights spent by visitors has increased by 14.4 %, reaching 1.86 million. The average length of stay comprised 1.9 nights.

Over Q3 2017, 658.9 thousand foreign visitors were hosted, which is 12.6 % more than during the respective period of the previous year, whereas the number of nights spent by them increased by 13.7 %, reaching 1.26 million.  The majority of foreign visitors came from Germany (92.5 thousand), Russia (74.4 thousand), Lithuania (72.0 thousand), Estonia (51.3 thousand), Finland (48.6 thousand) and the United Kingdom (29.3 thousand), according to data from the Central Statistical Bureau of Latvia.
 

During Q3 2017, significant increase was observed in the number of visitors coming from Canada (3.6 times), Switzerland (of 37.9%), Austria (31.1 %), China (23.1 %), Finland (21.3 %) and Israel (20.5 %). Reduction, in turn, was observed in the number of foreign visitors from Norway (by 7.1 %), the Netherlands (5.1%) and Belarus (3.2%).
 

Out of the total number of foreign visitors, 31.5 % or 207.6 thousand came from the neighbouring countries of Latvia – Russia, Lithuania, Estonia and Belarus. Out of all foreign visitors, 71.1 % stayed in Riga, 9.3 % in Jūrmala, 2.4 % in Ventspils and Sigulda County, and 2.1 % in Liepāja.
 

During Q3 2017, 305.2 thousand Latvian residents were hosted at tourist accommodation establishments, which is 10.0 % more than during Q3 2016, whereas the number of nights spent increased by 16.0 %, constituting 594.7 thousand.
 

Latvian residents stayed mostly in Riga (16.8 % of visitors), Liepāja (6.7 %), Jūrmala (5.5 %), Engure county (3.9 %), Ventspils (3.5 %), and Daugavpils (3.1 %).
 

Over Q3 2017, 519.9 thousand visitors were hosted at tourist accommodation establishments located in Riga – 11.0 % more than during Q3 the previous year. The number of foreign visitors in Riga rose by 11.3 %, amounting to 468.5 thousand.  The bulk of foreign visitors staying in Riga came from Germany (13.9 %), Russia (8.9 %), Finland (8.0 %), Estonia (6.2 %), Lithuania (5.9 %), the United Kingdom (5.4 %), and Sweden (4.8 %).

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