The year 2021 has so far shown that the pandemic is weakening its grip on the tourism industry in Finland, with registered accommodation sales growing by 8 per cent across the country during January-October. Of the provinces, accommodation sales were lower only in Lapland from the previous year, due to the decrease from spring 2020, before the pandemic. In terms of accommodation sales, the year 2019 was still unachieved, at least for January-October. The figures were the closest from 2019 in Northern Ostrobothnia, where accommodation sales in January-October 2021 were only one per cent less than in January-October 2019. Examined by municipality, accommodation sales increased the most in Heinola, Pudasjärvi and Pelkosenniemi, compared to both year 2020 and 2019.
Arrivals at registered accommodation establishments increased by 13 per cent in Finland during January-October compared with the previous year. Of the provinces, only Lapland and South Karelia were slightly behind from the previous year's figures, due to the lack of Russian and other international tourists from the peak season at the beginning of the year. In Lapland, accommodation sales in December-February 2021 were as much as 78 per cent lower than in the previous year. Russian bed nights, on the other hand, covered 36 percent of all registered bed nights in South Karelia in December-February 2020, with the share dropping to zero during December-February 2021. Compared to January-October 2019, only one of the provinces reached more tourists arrivals to registered accommodation in 2021 - congratulations to South Savo!
In the case of domestic arrivals to accommodation, the figures appear to be particularly positive. Among all the provinces, the number of domestic arrivals increased the most in Lapland, by as much as 34 per cent from the previous year. Lapland also reached more domestic tourists than in 2019. South Savo and Lapland seemed to have reached domestic tourists best compared to the pre-pandemic period.
