A total of 2.3 million outbound tourism trips were made by resident travellers in 2024

According to the Central Statistical Bureau (CSB), residents of Latvia made 2.3 million trips abroad in 2024 – an increase of 8.4 % compared to the year before. Moreover, the number of trips with overnight stay keeps growing and exceeds the pre-pandemic levels.

Last year, resident travellers made 1.8 million overnight trips abroad – up by 5.5 % compared to 2023 and by 21.6 % compared to 2019.

The total number of nights spent abroad reached 9.9 million, which is 10.7 % more than in 2019, whereas 5.6 % fewer than in 2023. The average duration of a trip with an overnight stay was 5.5 nights, which is 0.6 nights fewer than a year ago.

As for expenditures, residents spent 1.03 billion euro on such trips (down by 42.36 million, or 3.9 %). The largest share of it went on accommodation (37 %), followed by transport (30 %), food and drinks in cafés and restaurants (15.6 %), recreation, culture and sporting activities (6.5 %), and other goods or services (10.4 %). The average expenditure per one trip was 573.5 euro (56.6 euro fewer than in 2023), and the average expenditure per one night was 104.4 euro (1.8 euro more).

When looking at the most popular travel destinations of overnight trips abroad, Latvia’s neighbouring countries Estonia and Lithuania took the lead, accounting for 15.3 % and 10.9 % respectively. They were followed by Italy (6.9 %), Turkey (5.9 %), Germany (5.7 %), and Spain (5).

In terms of accommodation, 16.7 % of the nights in outbound tourism trips with overnight stay were spent in non-rented accommodation (own holiday homes, accommodation provided without charge by relatives or friends, or other), and 83.3 % in rented accommodation.

Regarding the modes of transport, air transport was the most popular and was used for 58.4 % of all overnight trips abroad. It is followed by motor vehicles, which were preferred less – in 31.1 % of trips. However, bus or coach were the least common and were used for only 8.2 % of trips.

The majority of resident travellers making overnight trips abroad were women (52.6 %), people aged 35–44 (27.5 %), residents with tertiary education (58.7 %), and employed persons (80 %).

Last year, resident travellers made 483.9 thousand outbound tourism trips without overnight stay, which is 82.6 thousand (20.6 %) more than in 2023. The total expenditure on same-day trips is estimated at 43.3 million euro, which is 8 million (22.8 %) more than a year before. The average expenditure per one trip amounted to 89.5 euro, which is 1.7 euro more than in 2023.

Lithuania and Estonia were the main destinations, accounting for 73.1 % and 21.4 % of all outbound tourism same-day trips made in 2024.

Statistics for the domestic trips made by resident travellers in 2024 will be published on 11 June 2025. Additional data for resident travellers is available in the database section Resident travellers, and more tourism statistics is available in the official statistics portal section Tourism.

Methodological information:

Information about tourism trips of resident travellers was collected by surveying 12 thousand private residences in 2024, that is one thousand each month. They were selected from a list of addresses using a two-stage sampling method. Data on the number of travellers and trips, duration of trip, and expenditures were produced by extrapolating the collected information to the average population of Latvia in 2024.

Media requests:
Public Relations Section
E-mail: media@csp.gov.lv
Phone: +371 27880666

More information on data:
Laura Kļaviņa
Environmental Statistics Methodology Section
E-mail: Laura.Klavina@csp.gov.lv
Phone: +371 67366826