Hotel establishments in the A.C. of the Basque Country registered 152,440 entries by visitors in July 2002, 11,000 entries more than in the same month the year before, which represents an 8% increase, according to Eustat data. Entries by visitors increased in all three provinces. There was a 9% rise in Bizkaia, 8% in Gipuzkoa and 6% in Alava.
Entries by state visitors increased 13%, higher than the increase registered among foreign visitors (2%). The number of state visitors increased in the three provinces: 6% in Alava, 10% in Bizkaia and 18% in Gipuzkoa; on the other hand, foreign visitors increased by 7% in Alava and 9% in Bizkaia, while in Gipuzkoa there was a 4% decrease.
Among state visitors there was a significant increase in visitors from Madrid, Andalusia, and the A.C. of the Basque Country and Navarre, and a slight fall in numbers from Catalonia, Asturias and Murcia, among others. Among foreign visitors there was a sharp increase in numbers from France, Germany, Italy and the UK, on the other hand there the number of visitors from the USA-Canada, South America and Portugal decreased.
The number of overnight stays registered in July 2002 came to 286,551, i.e. 13,000 more than the same month the year before, which represents a 5% increase in terms of percentage. The number of overnight stays increased by 9% in Bizkaia and 3% in Alava and Gipuzkoa.
The length of the average stay of visitors staying at hotels in the A.C. of the Basque Country fell in June 2002 from 1.94 days last year to 1.88 in July this year.
The level of occupancy by places remained at the same level as the year before for the whole of the A.C. of the Basque Country and occupancy by rooms grew 1% for the whole of the Autonomous Community.
9,839 entries were registered by visitors in Agrotourism establishments in the A.C. of the Basque Country in July 2002, 21% more than the year before, giving a 29% rise in Gipuzkoa, 20% in Bizkaia and a 1% decrease in Alava.
The number of overnight stays came to 28,101, 9% more than in July 2001, this increase affecting the three provinces of the A.C. of the Basque Country: Alava (30%), Gipuzkoa (10%) and Bizkaia (2%).
The average stay fell 10% for the whole of the . A.C. of the Basque Country, rising 32% in Alava and falling in Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa by 15% and 14%, respectively.