There were 55,138 entries by visitors at Easter 2003, 8% more than the same period the year before, according to EUSTAT data. For the comparative calculation of data for 2002 and 2003, Easter is defined as all the days running from Easter Monday until Holy Week Friday inclusive, i.e. a total of 12 days, as agreed by tourist sector agents.

Thus in 2003 there were almost 4,000 more entries by visitors than a year before, the number of state visitors increasing 6% and foreign visitors 14%. The highest growth in the number of Easter visitors occurred in Gipuzkoa with a 14% inter-annual increase, followed by Bizkaia with 4%, although Alava registered a decrease of 1%.

Overnight stays (103,764) at Easter 2003 increased by 6% with regard to the same period in 2002, which represents 6,000 more overnight stays than the year before. Overnight stays rose 14% in Gipuzkoa, 2% in Bizkaia and fell 6% in Alava.

The average length of stay per visitor, therefore, fell slightly from 1.91 days in 2002 to 1.88 days this year.

The level of occupancy by places fell substantially in Alava (eleven percent), to a lesser degree in Bizkaia (almost three percent), but improved in in Gipuzkoa (by over five percent increasing from 48.8% to 53.7%). Logically, the level of occupancy depends on two factors: the number of overnight stays and the places on offer. There have been increases in the latter over recent months, particularly in Alava and Bizkaia.

Agrotoursim: At Easter 2003 there was an increase in the number of visitors (21%) and overnight stays (10%)

Easter 2003 saw 4,140 entries by visitors to agrotourism establishments in the A.C. of the Basque Country, i.e. 21% more than in 2002. Inter-annual increases were seen in Gipuzkoa (42%) and Alava (11%), but not in Bizkaia where there was a slight reduction of 1%. The number of state visitors increased in the whole of the A.C. of the Basque Country, but there was a reduction in foreign visitors, except in Gipuzkoa.

The number of overnight stays came to 11,434, i.e. 10% more than at Easter 2002, rising in Gipuzkoa (22%) and Bizkaia (6%), but falling in Alava (-10%).

The average stay fell from 3.02 days to 2.76 days in the whole of the A.C. of the Basque Country and the level of occupancy by places improved one percent (1%).