Hotel establishments in the A.C. of the Basque Country registered 97,166 entries by visitors in January 2005, almost 3,000 more than the same month the year before, which represents a 3% increase, according to Eustat data. Entries by visitors have increased especially in Bizkaia (7%), while in Alava and Gipuzkoa the figures were practically the same as the year before (0%).

Entries by state visitors increased by 6% and the number of foreign visitors fell by the same degree (-6%). State visitors increased in numbers in Bizkaia (12%), Alava (2%) and Gipuzkoa (1%). The number of foreign visitors decreased in the three provinces: 8% in Bizkaia, 7% in Alava and 4% in Gipuzkoa.

Among state visitors there was an increase in numbers from Madrid, Aragón, Asturias and Navarre, among others. Fewer visitors arrived from Catalonia, Galicia and Andalusia, mainly. Among foreign visitors, there was a slight increase in numbers from France, Belgium, Ireland and European non-community countries and there was a drop in numbers from the UK, Portugal and Germany, among others.

The number of overnight stays registered in January 2005 came to 174,939, which represented a 6% increase in relation to January the year before, i.e. almost 10,000 overnight stays more. Overnight stays registered a positive inter-annual evolution in Gipuzkoa and Bizkaia, with 10% and 6% growth respectively, while in Alava there was a 4% fall.

The length of the average stays rose from 1.75 days the year before to 1.80 in January last for the whole of the A.C. of the Basque Country, due to the increase registered in this index in Gipuzkoa (10%). In Alava there was a fall, from 1.77 to 1.69 days, while in Bizkaia it practically remained the same (from 1.82 to 1.81 days).

The level of occupancy by places improved by 1%, rising from 30.68% in January last year to 31.13% in January this year. This improvement is clear in Gipuzkoa (8%), while in Alava there was a 4% decrease and in Bizkaia there was a lower decrease of 1%.

Agrotourism: Decrease in visitors (-16%) and slight increase in overnight stays (1%)

Last January 3,150 visitors were registered at agrotourism establishments in the A.C. of the Basque Country, 16% fewer than the same month the year before, falling 22% in Gipuzkoa, 18% in Alava, and a more moderate 4% decrease in Bizkaia. The drop in state visitors was 16% in the A.C. of the Basque Country: 20% lower in Guipúzcoa, 17% in Alava and 8% in Bizkaia. The number of foreign visitors fell 8% in the whole of the A.C. of the Basque Country, falling in Gipuzkoa and Alava by 42% and 30% respectively, but increasing by 55% in Bizkaia.

Overnight stays at agrotourism establishments in the A.C. of the Basque Country came to 8,967 in January, which represents a 1% increase with regard to the same month the year before, with positive inter-annual growth rates in Bizkaia (5%) and Gipuzkoa (5%), but negative in Alava, where there was a 20% decrease.

The average stay per visitor increased substantially in the whole of the A.C. of the Basque Country with regard to January 2004, rising from 2.39 days a year before to 2.85 last January, the positive evolution affecting Gipuzkoa (34%) in particular, Bizkaia to a lesser degree, where there was a 9% increase, while in Alava there was a drop of 3%.

The level of occupancy by places fell by 7%, as a consequence of the drops experienced in Alava (-28%) and Gipuzkoa (-5%), while in Bizkaia the impact was null in this area (0%).

Table 1: Monthly results

Source: EUSTAT