The brisk steamboat traffic boosted Helsinki's economy as passengers brought with them plenty of roubles. From the 1830s to the 1850s a careful record was kept of travellers to Helsinki. The Helsingfors Tidningar newspaper gave details of travellers' names, occupations and where they were staying. The register for 1849 for example mentions the wife of a collegiate councillor, a captain's wife, a court councillor, a civil servant's widow, a merchant's daughter, a gentlewoman, a titular councillor and his wife, a rector, a student, a privy councillor's wife and her family, a collegiate registrar and his sons, a cavalry officer's daughter, a doctor, several young ladies,

a low-ranking civil servant, a female music teacher with her daughters, a nobleman, a bourgeois gentleman, a teacher, the wife of a secretary, a lieutenant's daughter, a gentlemen, a colonel's wife, and a civil servant.
     An 1859 address book gives details of travellers' hotels and accommodation, including the Societetshus ('the Society House') in the Market Square, the Kleineh Hotel, the Hotel de Russie in Mariankatu street, the Hotel de Wrede in the Wickman building in Helenankatu street, the Kestikievari inn on Vuorikatu street, Mrs. J. Hilberg's in Fabianinkatu street, Mrs. M.E. Strandberg's in Vuorikatu street and Mr Tötterman's in Kluuvikatu street.