In 2024 the number of guest nights booked via collaborative economy platforms in Latvia has risen by 15.1 %

According to the latest data resulting from cooperation project between the Central Statistical Bureau (CSB) and statistical office of the European Union Eurostat, 1.77 million guest nights¹ were spent in Latvia in 2024, which were offered via one of the four collaborative economy platforms – Booking.com, Airbnb, Expedia and Tripadvisor. That is 15.1 % more than in 2023, when the number of nights booked comprised 1.54 million and 32.4 % more than in 2019 before the pandemic, when the number of guest nights reached 1.34 million nights. Among the capitals of the Baltic States, Riga still is the leader in terms of total nights booked, which is followed by Tallinn and Vilnius.

In 2024, 1.33 million or 75.4 % of guest nights in Latvia were booked by non-resident visitors, but 435.6 thousand or 24.6 % by Latvian residents. Compared to 2023, a rise was observed in both international (of 14.6 %) and domestic (16.9 %) guest nights booked. Compared to 2019, the number of guest nights booked by resident visitors increased 2.6 times, but the number of guest nights booked by non-resident visitors rose by 14.1 %.

In 2024 average length of a stay² during one booking in these accommodations comprised 2.7 nights, of which for non-resident visitors – 3.2 nights, but for resident visitors – 1.8 nights. Most of accommodations booked have capacity of up to 10 beds (93 % of nights booked).

In 2024, 55.2 % of all guest nights were spent in Riga, 18.8 % – in Kurzeme, 16.8 % – in Pieriga, 4.5 % – in Vidzeme, 2.9 % – in Latgale, and 1.8 % – in Zemgale. Residents mostly stayed in Kurzeme (33.1 % of guest nights) and Riga (26.9 %). Non-residents mostly stayed in Riga (64.5 % of guest nights), Pieriga (15.9 % of guest nights) and Kurzeme (14.1 % of guest nights).

Data available on six largest by population cities in Latvia – Riga, Daugavpils, Liepāja, Jelgava, Jūrmala and Ventspils – show that in 2024, compared to the previous year, the number of both domestic and international guest nights has increased in all cities mentioned. The greatest number of domestic guest nights was registered in Riga (117.1 thousand), Liepāja (61 thousand) and Ventspils (30.9 thousand). The greatest number of international guest nights was registered in Riga (861 thousand), Jūrmala (120.7 thousand) and Liepāja (86.9 thousand).

In 2024, the busiest months were July and August, and these two summer months covered 38.4 % of the annual number of guest nights, while the share of January and February was the lowest – only 7.5 % of the total number of guest nights.

The majority of guest nights in Latvia were booked by visitors from Lithuania (256.8 thousand), Germany (164.9 thousand), Finland (86.3 thousand), Estonia (84.1 thousand), Poland (68.5 thousand), United Kingdom (67.5 thousand), France (57.9 thousand), USA (56.2 thousand), Spain (38.4 thousand) and Sweden (33.5 thousand).

Comparing the three Baltic States, Lithuania had the largest number of nights booked in 2024 with 2.5 million nights, followed by Latvia (1.77 million nights) and Estonia (1.77 million nights). However, it was Latvia where non-resident visitors spent most guest nights – 1.33 million (rise of 14.6 %, compared to the previous year). For comparison, in Lithuania 1.27 million international guest nights were booked and in Estonia – 1.19 million international guest nights. Lithuania had significantly more nights booked by resident visitors – 1.22 million nights, followed by Estonia – 585.4 thousand nights and Latvia – 435.6 thousand nights.

Comparing the capitals of the Baltic States, Riga (978.2 thousand nights, including 861 thousand international guest nights) was the leader in terms of both total nights booked and international guest nights booked in 2024, followed by Tallinn (898.1 thousand nights, of which 759.7 thousand international guest nights) and Vilnius (694.4 thousand nights, of which 537.6 thousand international guest nights). The largest number of resident visitor nights was booked in Vilnius (156.9 thousand), followed by Tallinn (138.4 thousand) and Riga (117.1 thousand).

Refer to the OSP database TUP020 and Eurostat data base 10.2908/tour_ce_omr and 10.2908/tour_ce_oarc

Most accommodations in Latvia are available on the platform Booking.com, where in June 20243 around 4.1 thousand tourist accommodations of the appropriate types (apartments, guest and holiday homes, rest-houses, cottages, youth hostels, etc.) with around 28.9 thousand beds4 were offered. About 61 % 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 2018-2024 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.com, Airbnb, Expedia Group 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).

³ Data from the collaborative economy platform for the relevant period at the time of automated data collection in June 2024.

⁴ The exact number of beds is unknown, as the published number of beds in the indicated room types is determined by automated data collection.

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

More information on the data:
Ilze Ķerus
Environment Statistics Data Analysis and Dissemination Section
E-mail: Ilze.Kerus@csp.gov.lv
Phone: +371 67366778