During the first six months of 2026, more than 874,900 foreign tourists and nearly 789,400 domestic tourists stayed at accommodation establishments in Estonia.

According to Piret Pukk, a leading analyst at Statistics Estonia, the number of overnight stays also increased compared with the previous year. "There were 5 percent more overnight stays than in the first half of 2025, totaling 3.04 million," Pukk said.

Foreign tourists spent more than 1.72 million nights at accommodation establishments in the first half of 2026, while domestic tourists spent more than 1.32 million nights. Overnight stays by foreign tourists were up 7 percent from a year earlier, while those by domestic tourists increased 3 percent.

Compared with the first six months of 2019, before the crisis, the total number of tourists staying at accommodation establishments and the number of overnight stays were both 1 percent higher this year. The number of Estonian residents staying at accommodation establishments was 16 percent higher than in the same period in 2019, while the number of foreign visitors was 10 percent lower. Overnight stays by Estonian residents were also up 18 percent, while those by foreign visitors were down 9 percent.

In the first half of 2026, 78 percent of foreign tourists staying at accommodation establishments in Estonia were on vacation and 18 percent were traveling for work. Among domestic tourists, 70 percent were on vacation and 21 percent stayed at accommodation establishments for work-related reasons. A small proportion of guests stayed for other purposes.

Finnish visitors decline, Latvia and UK share up

In the first half of 2026, the largest shares of foreign tourists staying at accommodation establishments in Estonia came from Finland (34 percent), Latvia (15 percent) and Germany (6 percent). More than 298,400 tourists arrived from Finland, down 1 percent from a year earlier. Nearly 135,200 tourists from Latvia stayed at accommodation establishments, up 6 percent year over year, while the number of German tourists was nearly 51,200, up 1 percent.

Significant numbers of tourists also came from Lithuania (38,300, up 7 percent) and the United Kingdom (39,000, up 19 percent). More than 24,000 foreign visitors from each of the following — Asian countries, the United States, Poland and Sweden — stayed at accommodation establishments. In the first half of 2026, 78 percent or more than 684,200 of the foreign tourists staying at accommodation establishments came to Estonia from European Union countries. Their number increased 3 percent from a year earlier.

More than half (54 percent) of all tourists staying at accommodation establishments in the first six months of 2026 stayed in Harju County, including 51 percent in Tallinn. In addition, 11 percent stayed in Pärnu (12 percent in Pärnu County), while 8 percent stayed in Tartu (9 percent in Tartu County). In the first half of the year, 6 percent of tourists stayed in Ida-Viru County, while 4 percent stayed in both Saare and Valga counties. Valga County recorded the largest increase in the number of tourists staying at accommodation establishments during the period, at 13 percent.

Nearly three-quarters or 74 percent of foreign tourists staying at accommodation establishments in the first half of 2026 stayed in Harju County, including 72 percent in Tallinn. During the same period, 11 percent stayed in Pärnu County and 7 percent in Tartu County. Ida-Viru and Saare counties each accounted for 2 percent of foreign tourists.

Harju County was also the most popular destination among Estonian residents staying at accommodation establishments in the first half of this year, accounting for 33 percent, followed by Pärnu County at 14 percent and Tartu County at 11 percent. Ida-Viru, Lääne-Viru, Valga, Saare and Lääne counties were also popular places to stay among Estonian residents.

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