Press Release 22/07/2014

SURVEY ON TOURIST ESTABLISHMENTS (ETR) JUNE 2014

Visitors to hotel establishments in the Basque Country increased by 6.4 % in June 2014

The number of overnight stays registered an increase of 8.5% compared to the same month of the previous year

There were 226,899 visitors registered in the hotel establishments of the Basque Country in June 2014, 13,657 up on the same month of the previous year, which is an increase of 6.4%, according to Eustat data. The number of visitors was up 10.6% in Álava and 12.8% in Gipuzkoa, whereas in Bizkaia the figures were more or less the same as for the previous year (0.0%).

Furthermore, overnight stays registered in hotel establishments of the Basque Country in June 2014 reached 428,458, which was an increase of 8.5% on those registered in June of the previous year, that is, there were 33,479 more overnight stays. There was a year-on-year positive evolution for overnight stays in Álava, where they were up by 6.0%; in Bizkaia, where they were up 7.2%; and in Gipuzkoa, where they rose by 10.6%.

The number of visitors from within Spain rose by 6.0% compared to June of the previous year, as did the number of visitors from abroad, up 7.0%. Álava saw an increase in foreign visitors of 10.8% and an increase in Spanish visitors of 10.5%. In Bizkaia the number of visitors from abroad was up by 1.0%, and the number of Spanish visitors fell by 0.5%. In Gipuzkoa there was an increase in foreign visitor numbers of 12.2%, and the number of Spanish visitors rose by 13.3%.

The average length of stay stood at 1.89 days and represented an increase with respect to that of June the previous year, which was 1.85 days. In Álava it went from 1.83 days in June 2013 to 1.75 this June; in Bizkaia it rose from 1.76 days in June 2013 to 1.89 days this June; and for its part, the average length of stay in Gipuzkoa dropped from 1.97 days in June 2013 to 1.93 days this June.

There was an increase of 4.5 percentage points in the bed occupancy rate for the Basque Country overall, where it went from 46.2% in June 2013 to 50.7% in June this year. In Álava there was a rise of 1.9 percentage points, where it went from 38.6% occupancy in June 2013 to 40.5% this June. Bizkaia saw an increase of 5.2 percentage points, going from a bed occupancy rate of 44.2% in June 2013 to a rate of 49.4% in June 2014. In Gipuzkoa the occupancy rate increased by 4.7 percentage points, going from 51.9% in June 2013 to 56.6% in June 2014. The occupancy rate per room was also positive, up by 5.8 percentage points for the Basque Country overall, where the occupancy rate per room stood at 62.7%. In Álava it was up by 1.4 percentage points, standing at 49.7%, and in Bizkaia it increased by 8.3 percentage points, standing at 64.4%, whereas in Gipuzkoa it rose by 4.3 percentage points, standing at 65.9% occupancy per room.

The highest hotel bed occupancy rate in June this year was in Donostia-San Sebastián (70.5%), followed by the coast of Gipuzkoa (54.6%) and Bilbao (54.1%).

Taking into account the day of the week, at weekends there was a higher occupancy in the Basque Country as a whole in June 2014, with 61.8% of occupied places, with the registered occupancy standing at 46.6% on weekdays.

The number of personnel employed in hotel establishments in the Basque Country in June decreased by 3.7%, with regards to June 2013.

Visitor numbers increased by 11.8% in rural accommodation and overnight stays rose by 23.8% in June

Rural tourism establishments and country cottages in the Basque Country recorded a total of 25,130 overnight stays in June, with an increase of 23.8% with respect to the same month of the previous year. At provincial level, they dropped 6.6% in Álava, 22.0% in Bizkaia and 34.5% in Gipuzkoa.

The bed occupancy rate stood at 20.8% with a rise of 4.4 percentage points from the figures obtained in June 2013. Álava also recorded an increase of 0.1 percentage points, with a bed occupancy rate of 13.1%. In Bizkaia the occupancy rate stood at 18.2%, representing an increase of 3.4 percentage points in comparison with June 2013. For its part, Gipuzkoa experienced a rise of 6.9 percentage points, with an occupancy rate of 25.9% for June.

There were 10,669 visitors to rural tourism establishments in the Basque Country in June, 11.8% more than the same month of the previous year. By province, in Álava the number of visitors was up by 2.2%, in Bizkaia there was an increase of 16.0%, and in Gipuzkoa there was an increase of 12.9%.

The 1,700 visitors originating from abroad signified a decrease of 59.3% with regards to those received a year ago and represented 15.9% of the total number of visitors. For its part, the number of visitors from within Spain rose by 5.8%.

Finally, the average length of stay per visitor increased this June compared to June 2013, standing at 2.36 days.

The occupancy rate per room during the Machine Tool Biennial stood at 78.1% in the hotel establishments of Bizkaia

Visitor numbers during the 2014 Machine Tool Biennial increased to 21,676 in the hotel establishments of Bizkaia. These were visits that lasted from 2 to 7 June 2014 (6 nights). In this same period, the total number of overnight stays in Bizkaia was 42,357, with an occupancy rate per room of 78.1%. In the metropolitan area of Bilbao (Bilbao not included), the occupancy rate reached 89.2%.

The occupancy rate per room during the Azkena Rock Festival stood at 60.2% in the hotel establishments of Álava

Visitor numbers during the 2014 Azkena Rock Festival increased to 2,727 in the hotel establishments of Bizkaia. These were visits that lasted from 20 to 21 June 2014 (2 nights). In this same period, the total number of overnight stays in Álava was 4,624, with an occupancy rate per room of 60.2%. In Vitoria-Gasteiz the occupancy rate per room reached 67.2%.

For further information:

Eustat - Euskal Estatistika Erakundea / Instituto Vasco de Estadística C/ Donostia-San Sebastián, 1 01010 Vitoria-Gasteiz Press Service: servicioprensa@eustat.eus Tlf: 945 01 75 62 Further press releases on ETR - Survey on Tourist Establishments of the Basque Country Databank on ETR - Survey on Tourist Establishments of the Basque Country