Stockholm's tourism industry March 2009
Sharp increase in Swedish visitors to hotels, hostels and vacation villages In March 635,000 overnight stays were made at hotels, hostels and vacation villages in Stockholm County. That is 10 percent more than in March 2008. It is worth noting, however, that Easter fell in March in 2008, while it fell in April last year. That is usually very significant, in particular for the number of business travelers. On the other hand, the number of overnight stays around the country fell, compared to March 2008. The increase in Stockholm was due exclusively to more stays made by Swedish visitors. Most foreign markets continue to move in a negative direction. 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 March 2009
Comparison: March 2008 %
Jan-Mar 2009
Comparison: Jan-Mar. 2008 %
2,521,134
-3
6,710,640
-5
Stockholm County
635,254
+ 10
1,657,930
0
- of which the City of Stockholm
451,418
+ 12
1,179,897
+2
- of which the rest of the county
183,836
+7
478,033
-6
- of which Swedes
457,781
+ 17
1,183,505
+3
- of which foreign visitors
177,473
-4
474,425
-7
Sweden
Source: The Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth and SCB
Where do the visitors come from? The 10 percent rise in the number of guest nights in March is entirely due to the fact that more Swedes visited and stayed in Stockholm, compared to the same month in 2008 (+17 percent). Overnight stays made by foreign visitors declined during the same period by 4 percent – a drop that was seen in all parts of the world. Apart from the small target group of Icelandic visitors – their numbers fell sharply in 2009, no dramatic changes occurred in the number of commercial overnight stays for the Nordic markets. Overnight stays were 400 fewer than in March 2008, corresponding to a decline of 1 percent. Overnight stays made by non-Nordic Europeans fell by 4 percent in March and by 7 percent in the first three months of the year. Among the larger markets with fewer stays is Spain (- 27 percent in March and a decline of 18 percent for 2009 overall) and Great Britain (- 4 percent in March and - 12 percent so far in 2009). On the other hand, we have seen more positive development for Germany, France and Italy. The non-European markets’ relatively modest decline of 5 percent in March is likely attributable to the increased number of stays reported under the category “not specified” in the table below. Overnight stays made by U.S. visitors fell 25 percent in March and 18 percent so far in 2009. The Asian markets experienced a downturn, as well, even though stays made by Japanese visitors increased somewhat this month.
Guest nights in hotels, hostels and vacation villages in Stockholm County and City distributed by country Jan-Dec 2008 County
March 2009 County
5,742,582
457,781
22
Danmark
126,641
7,889
Norge
189,876
Finland
Sverige
Island
% of Comparivisitors to son, March Sweden 2008, % County County
Jan-Mar. 2009 County
% of visitors to Sweden County
Comparison Jan-Mar 2008 %, County
March 2009 City
Jan-Mar 2009 City
+ 17
1,183,505
22
+3
301,642
776,306
12
- 0
23,271
8
-3
5,716
17,816
11,287
19
+ 1
33,281
21
-5
9,503
28,621
159,672
10,470
45
+ 1
29,516
43
+2
7,841
23,301
9,042
450
70
- 55
1,066
56
- 57
353
812
S:a Norden utom Sverige
485,231
30,096
20
- 1
87,134
17
-4
23,413
70,550
Tyskland
342,648
20,211
35
+ 9
47,965
31
+2
17,408
41,355
Storbritannien
333,071
22,441
48
- 4
57,627
45
- 12
19,438
50,665
Irland
20,603
1,238
47
- 35
4,244
54
- 17
1,126
3,961
Holland
87,557
6,415
42
+ 7
15,803
33
-2
5,526
13,755
Belgien
34,520
1,829
36
- 16
5,765
43
-8
1,548
5,026
4,795
227
57
- 63
649
64
- 53
209
601
Frankrike
138,315
8,955
55
+ 12
26,499
55
-4
7,912
23,544
Schweiz
69,248
2,962
34
- 14
8,427
45
+2
2,612
7,470
Österrike
35,927
1,771
42
+ 12
4,671
41
+ 23
1,412
3,923
Italien
155,941
9,222
55
+ 8
26,538
60
+1
8,632
25,017
Spanien
115,050
6,549
63
- 27
14,948
63
- 18
5,670
12,891
Luxemburg
Jan-Dec 2008 County
March 2009 County
Jan-Mar. 2009 County
% of visitors to Sweden County
Comparison Jan-Mar 2008 %, County
March 2009 City
Jan-Mar 2009 City
Portugal
17,294
891
54
- 44
2,261
53
- 37
756
1,962
Grekland
18,445
1,426
56
+ 60
2,888
49
+ 48
1,356
2,718
Turkiet
11,779
668
47
- 42
1,396
51
- 43
475
1,166
111,203
5,496
54
- 27
27,100
53
- 16
3,464
18,501
Estland
8,590
1,014
44
+ 88
2,213
35
+ 28
634
1,601
Lettland
7,554
479
33
- 20
1,301
36
- 11
281
973
Litauen
5,141
477
43
+ 29
1,118
40
+1
426
989
Polen
33,558
2,875
28
+ 27
6,417
30
+ 20
1,933
4,540
Tjeckien
10,935
832
37
+ 13
2,547
43
+ 14
407
1,296
5,122
294
12
+ 8
563
13
- 25
243
500
Ungern
10,213
725
46
- 28
1,604
39
- 33
537
1,177
Övr Europa
94,076
4,173
51
- 24
10,677
49
- 25
3,892
9,876
1,671,585
101,170
44
- 4
273,221
43
-7
85,897
233,507
234,117
10,013
48
- 25
26,780
49
- 18
8,614
23,409
Kanada
28,610
996
46
- 45
3,307
51
- 33
862
2,889
Central & Sydamerika
26,398
1,762
68
+ 18
3,450
57
- 10
1,669
3,201
Japan
61,560
2,995
51
+ 8
7,224
49
-7
2,626
5,938
8,919
542
64
- 31
1,398
67
- 24
402
915
Kina
46,749
2,650
39
- 30
6,706
43
- 19
2,438
6,195
Övriga Asien
94,720
5,294
50
- 26
13,013
50
- 31
4,800
11,911
Australien
30,326
1,057
59
- 23
3,373
58
- 29
954
3,084
3,491
69
32
- 70
476
61
- 31
65
450
Övriga Världen
112,144
3,806
38
- 69
8,168
34
- 76
3,104
7,129
Ej angivet
143,239
17,023
59
+ 425
40,175
61
+ 389
14,932
34,413
S:a Utom-Europa
790,273
46,207
51
- 5
114,070
51
- 10
40,466
99,534
Summa utlandet
2,947,089
177,473
38
- 4
474,425
35
-7
149,776
403,591
Totalt
8,689,671
635,254
25
+ 10
1,657,930
24
-0
451,418
1,179,897
Ryssland
Slovakien
S:a Europa u Norden USA
Sydkorea
Nya Zeeland
% of Comparivisitors to son, March Sweden 2008, % County County
Trends in Sweden’s major cities While Stockholm showed good growth, overnight stays declined elsewhere in Sweden. The variation in the three metropolitan regions is also significant. In Göteborg and Västra Götaland counties, the year started off weak. The number of overnight stays fell in March by 5 percent in the city of Göteborg and by 4 percent in Västra Götaland overall. In Malmö the number of stays rose in March, although to a lesser degree than in Stockholm.
The number of overnight stays in hotels, hostels and vacation villages 2009 compared with 2008 March 2009
Comparison: March 2008, %
Jan-Mar 2009
Comparison: Jan-Mar 2008, %
Stockholm County
635,254
+ 10
1,657,930
0
Greater Stockholm
635,254
+ 10
1,657,930
0
Stockholm City
451,418
+ 12
1,179,897
+2
Västra Götaland County
314,064
-4
769,886
-7
Greater Göteborg
218,129
-6
574,919
-8
Göteborgs City
181,865
-5
482,267
-8
Skåne County
205,970
+4
519,327
-1
Greater Malmö
124,234
+6
324,326
+4
84,161
+6
220,011
+3
Malmö City
Hotels – who travels to Stockholm? 76 percent of the county’s hotel rooms were occupied in March by guests visiting Stockholm on business. In the spring months of March and April, comparison between the years is complicated a little, because Easter – with the decline in business travel that results during holidays – sometimes falls in March and sometimes in April. The weak economic situation that characterized the beginning of the year does not appear be reflected entirely in fewer business trips to Stockholm. Compared to March 2007 (when Easter fell in April, as it did this year), the number of rooms occupied by business travelers rose 6 percent, and privately booked rooms, 9 percent.
Company business Company conference Private group leisure Private leisure
March 2009
March 2006 - 2009
18%
400 000 350 000 6%
300 000 250 000 57%
19%
Business travel Leisure travel
200 000 150 000 100 000 50 000 0
2006
2007
2008
2009
Hotel – price trends In March a booked room cost SEK 1,194 in Stockholm city and SEK 1,144 in the county overall. That is 10 and 9 percent more, respectively, than last year. The number of occupied hotel rooms in the county increased notably – from 387,000 in March 2008 to 447,000 in March 2009. Together, this means that revenue from occupied rooms increased dramatically by 29 percent in the city to SEK 3,697 million and by 26 percent in the entire county to SEK 512 million. For the year to date, lodging revenue reaches 2008 levels or slightly higher. Revenues, kr/occupied room
Total lodging revenues, million kr
March 2009
Comparison: March 2008, %
Jan-Mar 2009
Comparison: Jan-Mar 2008, %
March 2009
Comparison: March 2008, %
Jan-Mar 2009
Comparison: Jan-Mar 2008, %
Stockholm city
1,194
+ 10
1,109
+1
368.6
Stockholm county
1,144
+9
1,080
+1
511.7
+ 29
871.4
+2
+ 26
1,230.7
0
Hotels – occupancy As we mentioned previously, more hotel rooms were occupied in March 2008 than in 2009, primarily due to higher numbers of business travelers. This means that occupancy levels increased, too – by 5 percentage points in the county and nearly 7 percentage points in the city. The highest occupancy rates were in Arlanda and in the 4- and 5-star hotels in the central parts of the city.
Belagda rum i procent av disponibla rum
n Fe b M ar s Ap ril M ay Ju ne Ju ly Au g Se p O ct N ov D ec
2008 2009
Ja
2008 2009
100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0
Stockholm city 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Ja n Fe M b ar Ap s ri M l ay Ju ne Ju ly Au g Se p O ct N ov D ec
Stockholm county