213,066 visitors were registered in the hotel establishments of the A.C. of the Basque Country in August 2005, almost 18,000 more than for the same month of last year, meaning an increase of 9%, according to Eustat data. Visitor numbers increased in the provinces of Alava (21%) and Bizkaia (20%), but not so in Gipuzkoa, where there was a 4% reduction in relation to the figures for August 2004.

The number of visitors from other parts of the state grew by 10%, while visitors from abroad increased by 8%. Both visitors from the state and from overseas increased in number in Alava (27% and 7%, respectively) and in Bizkaia (23% and 15%, respectively), while in Gipuzkoa the former group diminished in number (-7%) and the latter increased (2%).

Among visitors from the state, there was a rise in the number of those coming from Catalonia, Andalucia, Aragon, Castile la Mancha, Galicia and Castile-Leon, among others, and a fall for those coming from Madrid, La Rioja and Ceuta and Melilla. Among overseas visitors, numbers rose for those coming from France, Germany, United Kingdom, USA-Canada and Belgium, among others, and fell for those coming from Italy, Portugal, Finland and Sweden.

Overnight stays registered in August 2005 came to 471,860, representing an 11% increase compared to last August, or in other words, 47,000 more overnight stays. The inter-annual evolution of overnight stays was positive in the three provinces of the A.C. of the Basque Country, growing 19% in Alava, 18% in Bizkaia and 3% in Gipuzkoa.

The average length of stay underwent an increase of 2% in August 2005 for the A.C. of the Basque Country as a whole, going from 2.17 days to 2.21 days.

The degree of occupancy by places and by rooms registered a positive evolution, with a 7% increase for the A.C. of the Basque Country as a whole. The degree of occupancy by places went from 69.25% to 73.88% and the degree of occupancy by rooms went from 72.46% to 77.63%. This improvement was reflected, to a greater or lesser extent, across the three provinces.

The summer months of June, July and August saw a 7% increase in the number of visitors to the A.C. of the Basque Country, in relation to the same period of 2004, meaning 37,000 more visitors: Bizkaia had an increase of 15% and Alava one of 5%, while Gipuzkoa remained at the same level as last year. In the same period, overnight stays underwent a 9% increase, with 96,000 more overnight stays than last year. This increase was true of all three provinces. The average length of stay and the degree of occupancy improved over the three summer months by 2% and 6% respectively.

AGROTOURISM

The number of visitors rose (16%), but that of overnight stays remained steady (0.0%)

12,317 visitors were registered in agrotourism establishments of the A.C. of the Basque Country in August, 16% more than in the same month last year, decreasing by 17% in Alava, but growing by 38% in Gipuzkoa and 7% in Bizkaia. There was a 20% rise in the numbers of visitors from the state in the A.C. of the Basque Country, but the number of those coming from overseas reduced by 5%.

There were 59,198 overnight stays in the agrotourism establishments of the A.C. of the Basque Country in August 2005, meaning that numbers remained steady in relation to the same month of last year, with positive inter-annual growth rates in the provinces of Bizkaia (8%) and Gipuzkoa (3%), but a negative inter-annual rate in Alava (-23%).

The average stay per visitor fell from 5.57 to 4.81 days in August.

The degree of occupancy by places decreased from 74.54% to 70.36% and the degree of occupancy by rooms went from 77.77% to 75.70%.

Over the three months of June, July and August 2005 10% more visitor entries were registered at agrotourism establishments than over the same months the year before, i.e. 3,000 more entries and overnight stays which represent a 5% rise, positively affecting the provinces of Guipúzcoa (9%) and Bizkaia (2%) but with a negative effect in Alava (-9%).

Table 1: Monthly results

Source: EUSTAT