Stockholm's tourism industry July 2009
Heavy increase in the number of overnight stays June’s positive growth in the number of overnight stays in Stockholm was further reinforced in July. 1,039,000 stays at county hotels, hostels and vacation villages were 11 percent higher than in July 2008. The month was also positive for the other big cities and for Sweden as a whole. In July, private travelers dominated the county’s lodging facilities. It was the same category of travelers that was behind the increase, while the number of business travelers at hotels fell slightly. Both Swedish and foreign stays increased slightly during the month – Swedes’ by 70,000 and foreign guests’ by almost 31,000. Camping is not included in these accommodation figures. It is only reported on an annual basis The number of overnight stays in hotels, hostels and vacation villages in Stockholm County 1 200 000 1 000 000 800 000 600 000
2008 2009
400 000 200 000 0
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
The number of overnight stays in hotels, hostels and vacation villages 2009 compared with 2008 July 2009
Comparison: July 2008 %
Jan-Jul 2009
Comparison: Jan-Jul 2008 %
Sweden
4,860,749
+9
19,607,683
-1
Stockholm County
1,039,053
+ 11
4,913,569
0
- of which the City of Stockholm
761,788
+ 13
3,528,086
+3
- of which the rest of the county
277,265
+5
1,385,483
-7
- of which Swedes
613,194
+ 13
3,209,627
0
- of which foreign visitors
425,859
+8
1,703,942
0
Source: The Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth and SCB
Where do the visitors come from? The month’s positive results can be attributed to both Swedish and foreign visitors at hotels and Swedish visitors at hostels and vacation villages. 613,000 Swedish stays is a 13 percent increase, compared to July 2008. In absolute numbers, that represents a respectable number of stays: 70,000. Nearly 62,000 of those 70,000 stays were made in establishments in the city of Stockholm. Nearly 31,000 additional stays were made in July by foreign visitors – an increase of 8 percent, compared to the same month last year. Nordic visitors made 28,000 of the additional stays, which corresponds to a 34 percent rise. This month, and even in the first seven months of the year, Denmark has had the fastest rate of increase. Non-Nordic markets in Europe show practically unchanged figures, compared to July 2008. The target groups that showed a positive trend in July, with a few exceptions, also showed positive growth for the year overall, and vice versa. We can note plus figures for, e.g., Germany (+7 percent), France (+7 percent), Italy (+25 percent), and Spain (+6 percent), while Great Britain (-21 percent) and Russia (-14 percent) showed a more negative development. Among non-European target groups (increased 3 percent in all in July), we can note a higher number of stays by visitors from Japan. The US market, however, continues to fall. During the period from January to July, all non-European markets have shrunk. It is noteworthy that the strong rise during the month, both in percent and in absolute numbers, wiped out the year’s decline for both Swedish and foreign overnight stays.
Guest nights in hotels, hostels and vacation villages in Stockholm County and City distributed by country Jan-Dec 2008 County
July 2009 County
% of visitors to Sweden County
Comparison, Junly 2008, % County
Jan-Jul 2009 County
July 2009 City
Jan-Jul 2009 City
5,742,582
613,194
18
+ 13
3,209,627
21
+0
401,281
2,064,091
Denmark
126,641
29,885
17
+ 53
96,100
15
+ 25
24,427
76,223
Norway
189,876
40,343
11
+ 28
128,926
16
+8
33,795
109,512
Finland
159,672
38,304
44
+ 29
116,644
43
+ 20
31,048
92,712
Iceland
9,042
1,018
63
- 4
3,729
54
- 41
973
3,131
Totals for Nordic countries (not incl. Sweden)
485,231
109,550
17
+ 34
345,399
20
+ 15
90,243
281,578
Germany
342,648
59,859
28
+ 7
210,512
33
+7
47,683
177,246
Great Britain
333,071
25,478
49
- 21
161,112
49
- 15
23,059
143,351
Ireland
20,603
1,734
50
- 3
10,407
55
- 13
1,344
9,411
The Netherlands
87,557
11,253
16
+ 6
52,400
29
+3
9,883
46,079
Belgium
34,520
5,445
51
+ 33
20,864
47
+4
4,782
18,244
4,795
334
43
- 12
2,109
57
- 31
316
1,913
138,315
16,945
59
+ 7
82,740
58
+6
15,086
74,819
69,248
13,783
44
+ 5
45,168
50
+9
12,460
41,204
Sweden
Luxembourg France Switzerland
% of visitors Comparison to Sweden Jan-Jul 2008 County %, County
Jan-Dec 2008 County
July 2009 County
% of visitors to Sweden County
Comparison, Junly 2008, % County
Jan-Jul 2009 County
July 2009 City
Jan-Jul 2009 City
35,927
7,222
55
+ 5
24,312
53
+ 22
6,556
21,620
Italy
155,941
19,481
64
+ 25
90,856
61
+ 23
17,777
84,720
Spain
115,050
17,760
72
+ 6
64,235
69
-0
15,506
56,870
Portugal
17,294
1,557
56
Greece
- 14
7,296
54
- 31
1,476
6,688
18,445
2,944
72
+ 1
10,111
61
-3
2,828
9,285
Turkey
11,779
1,163
64
- 0
6,156
63
- 12
876
5,076
Russia
111,203
10,514
54
- 14
59,718
56
- 12
7,289
42,359
Estonia
8,590
949
29
- 7
5,465
36
+ 21
571
3,874
Latvia
7,554
935
41
+ 49
4,228
27
-2
549
3,103
Lithuania
5,141
616
12
+ 1
3,087
22
+5
376
2,472
Poland
33,558
3,438
19
- 6
18,872
24
-1
2,177
12,875
The Czech Republic
10,935
1,295
31
+ 45
6,939
36
+ 23
767
3,714
Slovakia
5,122
849
26
+ 90
2,401
16
- 22
460
1,729
Hungary
10,213
1,365
50
+ 11
5,341
38
- 13
1,108
4,299
The rest of Europe
94,076
7,269
51
- 40
34,738
52
- 38
6,060
31,722
Totals for Europe excl. Nordic countries
1,671,585
212,188
38
+ 0
929,067
44
-2
178,989
802,673
234,117
33,962
60
- 5
121,612
57
- 13
30,834
108,689
Canada
28,610
2,993
61
- 11
13,578
58
- 21
2,753
12,194
Central & South America
26,398
3,401
69
+ 2
13,520
61
-8
3,274
12,736
Japan
61,560
10,415
86
+ 4
31,760
65
-6
6,351
22,610
8,919
1,713
53
+ 41
5,342
48
-4
1,351
3,637
China
46,749
3,856
41
- 13
20,667
44
- 23
3,129
18,694
The rest of Asia
94,720
6,145
58
- 43
39,602
53
- 33
4,996
35,992
Australia
30,326
3,096
65
- 37
14,374
63
- 21
2,870
13,398
3,491
318
45
- 41
1,672
51
- 26
285
1,521
The rest of the world
112,144
3,465
35
- 48
22,858
36
- 72
3,060
20,143
Not indicated
143,239
34,757
59
+ 71
144,491
60
+ 174
32,372
130,130
Totals (excluding Europe)
790,273
104,121
59
+ 3
429,476
56
-5
91,275
379,744
Totals from abroad
2,947,089
425,859
31
+ 8
1,703,942
37
+0
360,507
1,463,995
Totals
8,689,671
1,039,053
21
+ 11
4,913,569
25
+0
761,788
3,528,086
Austria
USA
South Korea
New Zeeland
% of visitors Comparison to Sweden Jan-Jul 2008 County %, County
Trends in Sweden’s major cities As mentioned earlier, it was not just Stockholm that saw good growth in commercial stays in July. Göteborg and all of Västra Götaland presented positive development at least equal to that of Stockholm and Malmö and surrounding area – 22 percent, compared to July 2008.
The number of overnight stays in hotels, hostels and vacation villages 2009 compared with 2008 July 2009
Comparison: July 2008, %
Jan-Jul 2009
Comparison: Jan-Jul 2008, %
Stockholm County
1,039,053
+ 11
4,913,569
0
Greater Stockholm
1,039,053
+ 11
4,913,569
0
Stockholm City
761,788
+ 13
3,528,086
+3
Västra Götaland County
854,708
+ 12
2,852,289
-2
Greater Göteborg
512,647
+ 11
1,894,713
-2
Göteborgs City
418,199
+ 14
1,563,150
-1
Skåne County
540,530
+ 14
1,933,571
+3
Greater Malmö
241,722
+ 22
1,012,418
+7
Malmö City
158,935
+ 22
677,090
+8
Hotels – who travels to Stockholm? July is the only month of the year when business travelers are in the minority at hotels. Thirty-five percent of county hotel rooms were occupied in July 2009 by business travelers. Just over 27,000 more rooms were occupied that month by visitors in the city in a private capacity, compared to July of the previous year. At the same time, the number of rooms booked by business travelers fell by over 8,000.
Company business Company conference Private group leisure Private leisure
July 2009
July 2006 - 2009 350 000 33%
300 000 250 000 200 000
53% 2% 12%
Business travel Leisure travel
150 000 100 000 50 000 0
2006
2007
2008
2009
Hotel – price trends In July business travelers in county hotels decline and, instead, most rooms are booked by private visitors to Stockholm. July is also when prices are lowest. An average room in Stockholm County was booked in July 2009 for SEK 753. That is SEK 42, or 5 percent, less than in the same month in 2008. In Stockholm proper, the average price was SEK 789 per occupied room, i.e., 6 percent lower than last year. Despite the lower prices, hotel earnings from room bookings were about the same as last year. That is because there were more rooms booked — almost 455,000 in the entire county or 19,000 more than in July 2008. An average room thus far in 2009 has cost SEK 1,027 in the county and SEK 1,058 in the city — 6 and 7 percent less, respectively, than at the same time last year. During this seven-month period, the decline in prices has not been compensated for by a higher occupancy rate. On the contrary, just over 160,000 fewer rooms have been sold so far in 2009, compared to 2008. Revenues, kr/occupied room
Total lodging revenues, million kr
July 2009
Comparison: July 2008, %
Jan-Jul 2009
Comparison: Jan-Jul 2008, %
July 2009
Comparison: July 2008, %
Jan-Jul 2009
Comparison: Jan-Jul 2008, %
Stockholm city
789
-6
1,058
-7
273.1
+1
2,211.4
-9
Stockholm county
753
-5
1,027
-6
342.3
-1
3,025.3
- 10
Hotels – occupancy In July occupancy increased at county hotels for the second month in a row. 63.1 percent of available rooms in the county were occupied in July − a slight increase of just over 2 percent from July 2008. In the city, this increase was just over 3 percentage points to 72.5 percent. Occupancy rates vary considerably, however. Hotels in downtown Stockholm showed the highest occupancy at 70 or more, while hotels in some surrounding municipalities had fewer than 40 percent of rooms booked.
Room occupancy rate in percentages of available rooms
2009
Ja n Fe M b ar s Ap ri l M a Ju y ne Ju ly Au g Se p O ct N ov D ec
2008
100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0
Stockholm city
2008 2009
100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0
Ja n Fe M b ar s Ap ril M ay Ju ne Ju ly Au g Se p O ct N ov D ec
Stockholm county