Author: Ilze Ķerus
Source: csp.gov.lv
According to the latest data resulting from cooperation project between the Central Statistical Bureau (CSB) and statistical office of the European Union Eurostat, 1.54 million guest nights1 were spent in Latvia in 2023, which were offered via one of the four collaborative economy platforms – Booking, Airbnb, Expedia and Tripadvisor. That is 30.4 % more than in 2022, when the number of nights booked comprised 1.18 million and 15 % more than in 2019 before the pandemic, when the number of guest nights reached 1.34 million nights.
Reklāma
In 2023, 1.17 million or 75.8 % of guest nights were booked by non-resident visitors, but 372.6 thousand or 24.2 % by Latvian residents. Compared to 2022, rise was observed both in the number of guest nights booked by non-resident visitors (of 37.1 %) and of resident visitors (13 %). Compared to 2019, the number of guest nights booked by resident visitors increased 2.2 times, but the number of guest nights booked by non-resident visitors reduced by 0.4 %.
In 2023 average length of a stay2 during one booking in these accommodations comprised 2.7 nights, of which for non-resident visitors – 3.3 nights, but for resident visitors – 1.8 nights. Most of accommodations booked have capacity of up to 10 beds (92.8 % of nights booked).
In 2023, 56.7 % of all guest nights were spent in Riga, 18.4 % – in Kurzeme, 16 % – in Pieriga, 4.6 % – in Vidzeme, 2.7 % – in Latgale, and 1.5 % – in Zemgale. Residents mostly stayed in Kurzeme (34.1 % of guest nights) and Riga (26.9 %). Non-resident visitors mostly stayed in Riga (66.3 % of guest nights), Pieriga (15.2 % of guest nights) and Kurzeme (13.4 % of guest nights).
Data available on six largest by population cities in Latvia – Riga, Daugavpils, Liepāja, Jelgava, Jūrmala and Ventspils – show that in 2023, compared to the previous year, the number of guest nights booked by visitors has increased in all cities mentioned (the largest increase in Riga – of 39.3 %), except of Daugavpils, where the number of nights booked decreased by 2.2 %. Compared to 2019, by far the largest increase can be observed in Liepāja, where the number of nights booked increased by 85.7% (2.4 times for resident visitors and by 58.7% for non-resident visitors).
In 2023, the busiest months were July and August, and these two summer months covered 37.9 % of the annual number of guest nights, while the share of January and February was the lowest – only 7.6 % of the total number of guest nights.
The majority of guest nights in Latvia were booked by visitors from Lithuania (222.8 thousand), Germany (136.8 thousand), Estonia (79.9 thousand), Finland (72.1 thousand), United Kingdom (65.4 thousand), Poland (54.9 thousand), USA (52.1 thousand), France (46.3 thousand), Spain (31.5 thousand) and Ukraine (28.2 thousand).
Comparing the three Baltic States, Lithuania had the largest number of nights booked in 2023 with 2.06 million nights, followed by Latvia (1.54 million nights) and Estonia (1.48 million nights). However, it was Latvia where the greatest number of non-resident visitors stayed – 1.17 million (rise of 37.1 %, compared to the previous year). For comparison, in Lithuania 1.05 million international guest nights were booked and in Estonia – 967.7 thousand international guest nights. Lithuania had significantly more nights booked by resident visitors – 1.01 million nights, followed by Estonia – 514.5 thousand nights and Latvia – 372.6 thousand nights.
Comparing the capitals of the Baltic States, Riga (872.3 thousand nights, including 771.9 thousand nights booked by non-residents) was the leader in terms of both total nights booked and nights booked by non-resident visitors in 2023, followed by Tallinn (747.5 thousand nights, of which 622.8 thousand nights booked by non-resident visitors) and Vilnius (582.2 thousand nights, of which 451.8 thousand nights booked by non-resident visitors). The most nights booked by resident visitors were 130.4 thousand in Vilnius, followed by Tallinn (124.8 thousand) and Riga (100.4 thousand).
Refer to the Eurostat database 10.2908/tour_ce_omr and 10.2908/tour_ce_oarc
Most accommodations in Latvia are available on the platform Booking, where in June 2023 around 3.6 thousand tourist accommodations of the appropriate types (apartments, guest and holiday homes, rest-houses, cottages, youth hostels, etc.) with around 10.3 thousand beds were offered. About 62 % of the dwellings are apartments.
Data on guest nights in the European Union and European Free Trade Association countries at the regional and city level in 2018-2023 and more information about the project is available on the Eurostat website in the section Experimental statistics.
1 The data provides information on guest nights offered via four collaborative economy platforms – Booking, Airbnb, Expedia and Tripadvisor – in short-stay accommodation such as guest apartments, suites, holiday homes, rest-houses, cottages, etc., does not include hotels and similar accommodation, as well as camping grounds. The total number of guest nights is obtained by multiplying the nights booked by the number of persons staying in the accommodation booked.
2 The average length of a stay is acquired by dividing the number of nights rented out by the number of stays (occ_ni/occ_stay).
To publish this article please contact BalticTravelnews.eu editorial board
MOST POPULAR of WEEK
