In December 2005, hotel establishments in the A.C. of the Basque Country registered 121,686 visitor entires, according to Eustat data. These figures reflect a 5% increase on the same month the year before, i.e. nearly 6,000 more entries. Visitor entires evolved positively in the province of Bizkaia, where there was a 13% increase but there was a 2% fall in the province of Álava and 1% in Gipuzkoa.

Entries by state visitors increased by 1% in the whole of the A.C. of the Basque Country, while foreign visitors registered a 21% increase. Numbers of the former fell in Gipuzkoa (-6%) and Álava (-3%), but increased their presence by 10% in Bizkaia. The latter increased numbers in all three provinces: Bizkaia (27%), Gipuzkoa (18%) and Álava (5%).

Among the state visitors there were increases in visitors from Catalonia, Andalusia, Aragón, Asturias and Galicia, among others. There was a decrease in visitors from the Comunidad Valenciana, Madrid and Balearic Isles, mainly. Among foreign visitors, there was an increase in numbers from France, Italy, Portugal and South America, but a drop in numbers from German, the UK and USA-Canada, mainly.

Overnight stays registered in December 2005 came to 217,680, which represents growth of 6% on December the year before, i.e. 11,000 overnight stays more. Overnight stays evolved positively in Bizkaia (16%) and Álava (1%), but decreased in Gipuzkoa (-5%).

The average length of stay improved from 1.78 days the previous year to 1.79 last December, for the whole of the A.C. of the Basque Country. This index improved in Alava (3%) and Bizkaia (2%), but fell in Gipuzkoa by 3%.

The level of occupancy by places fell by one percentage point with regard to the position a year before in the whole of the A.C. of the Basque Country, but the level of occupancy by rooms rose from 42.80% in December 2004 to 44.02% this past month of December, thanks to the results in Bizkaia.

Annual balance 2005 of hotel establishments: Both the average stay and the level of occupancy by places improved slightly on the figures for the year before

The balance for 2005 in hotel establishments in the A.C. of the Basque Country closed with rises, both in visitor entries (4%) and in overnight stays (5%), with regard to the year before. The positive performance of these two indicators extends to all three provinces in the A.C. of the Basque Country, although its impact differed in each, according to Eustat data.

In 2005 there were 1,825,043 entries by visitors, i.e. 75,000 more than the year before, and thus surpassed for the fourth consecutive year the barrier of one and a half million visitors staying at hotel establishments in the A.C. of the Basque Country. Entries by visitors increased by 9% in Bizkaia, 1% in Gipuzkoa and 0.1% in Álava.

Overnight stays in 2005 came to 3,459,802, i.e. 170,000 more overnight stays than the year before, with a positive evolution in all three provinces: Bizkaia (8%), Alava (6%) and Gipuzkoa (3%).

The average length of stay rose from 1.88 days the previous year to 1.90 in 2005. The level of occupancy by places improved by percentage points in the whole of the A.C. of the Basque Country, rising from 46.86% in 2004 to 47.63% in 2005. This index improved inall three provinces but to differing degrees.

Agrotourism: In December there was an increase in visitors (11%) but a fall in overnight stays (-8%)

7,281entries by visitors were registered in December at agrotourism establishments in the A.C. of the Basque Country, 11% more than the same month the previous year.

Overnight stays at agrotourism establishments in the A.C. of the Basque Country came to 17,819 in December, which represents 8% fewer than the same month the year before.

The average stay per visitor fell sharply by 17% in the whole of the A.C. of the Basque Country and the level of occupancy by places decreased by 10%, the decrease in the level of occupancy by rooms falling by an inter-annual 5%.

Annual balance 2005 for agrotourism: 9% increase in visitor entries and 2% in overnight stays

96,192 entries were registered by visitors to agrotourism establishments in the A.C. of the Basque Country over 2005, which represents 9% more than the year before, while overnight stays came to 267,574, i.e. 2% more than in 2004.

Entries by visitors increased in all three provinces, but the increase in overnight stays only occurred in Gipuzkoa.

The average stay per visitor fell from 2.97 days in 2004 to 2.78 days in 2005 and the level of occupancy fell by 4% on the level reached in 2004, and affect the provinces of Álava (-8%) and Bizkaia (-11%), but not Gipuzkoa, where there was a 1% increase.

Table 3: Monthly results

Source: EUSTAT