120,941 visitors were registered in the hotel establishments of the A.C. of the Basque Country in February 2007, 4,000 more than for the same month of last year, meaning a 4% increase, according to Eustat data. The number of visitors increased by 6% in Álava and Bizkaia and decreased by 1% in Gipuzkoa.

The number of visitors from other parts of the state grew by 1% and the number of overseas visitors increased by 12%. Visitors from other parts of the state increased in number in Bizkaia (6%) and in Álava (5%), but not so in Gipuzkoa, where they reduced by 6%. Visitors from abroad increased in number in all three provinces: 18% in Gipuzkoa, 12% in Álava and 7% in Bizkaia.

Among visitors from other parts of the state an increase was registered among those coming from the A.C. of the Basque Country itself, Castile-Leon, Asturias, Cantabria and Galicia, among others. There was a fall for those coming from Madrid, Catalonia, Community of Valencia and La Rioja in particular. Among those from abroad, there was a rise for those coming from France, Ireland, Italy, United Kingdom and Latin America and a fall for those from Greece, Portugal and Denmark, among others.

Overnight stays registered in February 2007 came to 218,591, representing a 4% increase in relation to February of the previous year, which is to say almost 9,000 more overnight stays. The inter-annual evolution of overnight stays was positive in all three provinces: in Álava they grew by 5%, in Bizkaia they also did so by 5% and in Gipuzkoa there was an increase of 2%.

The length of the average stay remained practically unchanged: it went from 1.80 days in last February to 1.81 this February for the A.C. of the Basque Country as a whole. In Álava and Bizkaia it also remained steady, with a slight 1% decrease in both provinces and rose in Gipuzkoa by 3%, going from 1.84 to 1.90 days.

The degree of occupancy by places registered a 1% decrease, going from 36.36% last February to 36.11% this February. This decrease affected Gipuzkoa (-6%), whereas in Álava and Bizkaia there were increases of 2% and 3%, respectively.

Agrotourism: There was a rise in the number of visitors (4%) and overnight stays (5%)

5,579 visitors were registered in the agrotourism establishments of the A.C. of the Basque Country in February, 4% more than in the same month of last year, increasing by 41% in Álava and decreasing by 4% in Bizkaia and 3% in Gipuzkoa. The number of visitors from other parts of the state increased by 5% in the A.C. of the Basque Country as a whole: they increased by 39% in Álava and decreased by 4% in Bizkaia and 1% in Gipuzkoa. Numbers of visitors from overseas fell by 15% in the A.C. of the Basque Country overall, diminishing in Gipuzkoa (-40%), rising slightly in Bizkaia (5%) and increasing appreciably in Álava, in percentage terms.

There were 12,659 overnight stays in the agrotourism establishments of the A.C. of the Basque Country in February, meaning a 5% rise in relation to the same month of last year, with positive inter-annual growth rates in Álava (41%) and Bizkaia (18%), with the only exception to the rule being Gipuzkoa, where there was a 10% decrease.

The average stay per visitor rose slightly in the A.C. of the Basque Country as a whole in relation to February 2006, going from 2.24 days to 2.27 days this February, a positive evolution that extended to the provinces of Álava and especially Bizkaia, while in Gipuzkoa this index saw a decrease.

The degree of occupancy by places registered a 4% decrease, as a consequence of the fall seen in Gipuzkoa (-19%), although figures were positive in Álava and Bizkaia (30% and 8% respectively).

Table 1: Monthly results

Source: EUSTAT