Accommodation guest numbers sharply down in September

This is 54.7 % less than in September 2019 and 63.3 % less than in August this year. 

As compared to September of the previous year, the number of nights spent by visitors in accommodation has reduced by 54.1 % and comprised 211 thousand nights.

In Latvia, tourism peak season traditionally ends in September, therefore, a significant drop may be observed in the number of visitors, compared to the previous two months of the third quarter of 2020 – July and August.

In the third quarter of 2020 the number of foreign and resident visitors in Latvian tourist accommodation establishments comprised 709.3 thousand, which is 31.3 % less than in the third quarter of 2019. As compared to the same period of the previous year, the number of nights spent by visitors has reduced by 34.9 % and comprised 1.3 million nights. Visitors spent an average of 1.8 nights at tourist accommodation establishments.

In third quarter of 2020 the number of foreign visitors comprised 358 thousand, which is 49.2 % less than in the third quarter of previous year, and the number of nights spent by foreign visitors has decreased by 51 % and comprised 679.5 thousand nights. The majority of foreign visitors came from Lithuania (121.4 thousand), Estonia (89.2 thousand), Finland (53.9 thousand), Germany (29.8 thousand) and Poland (7.3 thousand).

Out of foreign visitors 60.7 % or 217.4 thousand came from neighbouring countries – Lithuania (33.9 %), Estonia (24.9 %), Russia (1.7 %) and Belarus (0.2 %).

In the nine months of 2020, 1.3 million visitors stayed at Latvian tourist accommodation establishments, which is 43.7 % less than in the nine months of 2019, of which 675.2 thousand were foreign visitors – a drop of 56.6 %, compared to the corresponding period of the previous year.

In the third quarter of 2020 the largest share of foreign visitors stayed in Riga – 56 %, Jūrmala – 13.6 %, Ventspils – 5.1 %, Liepāja – 4.8 %, Sigulda municipality – 2.6 %, Salacgrīva municipality – 2.0 %, Engure municipality – 1.4 %, Roja municipality – 1.1 % and Daugavpils – 1 %.

Restrictions on travelling abroad encouraged Latvian residents to travel around Latvia. In the third quarter of 2020 tourist accommodation establishments hosted 351.3 thousand Latvian residents, which is 7.6 % more that in the third quarter of 2019, the number of nights spent by residents has increased by 2.3 % and comprised 612.2 thousand.

Latvian residents stayed mostly in Riga (15.2 %), Jūrmala (7.6 %), Liepāja (7.2 %), Ventspils (4.7 %), Daugavpils (4 %), Salacgrīva municipality (3.3 %), Daugavpils municipality (3 %), Sigulda municipality (2.9 %), Kuldīga municipality (2.8 %), Engure municipality (2.7 %) and Saulkrasti municipality (2.6 %).

Number of visitors hosted and nights spent at accommodation establishments