Overnight stays also increased by 10% over the same six month period.

901,683 visitor entries were registered at hotel establishments in the A.C. of the Basque Country over the first six months of 2006, i.e. 81,000 more than in the first six months of 2005, which represents a 10% increase, according to Eustat data. Visitor entries had a positive evolution in all three provinces of the A.C. of the Basque Country, rising by 16% in Bizkaia, 6% in Álava and growing by 5% in Gipuzkoa.

The number of overnight stays over the first six months of 2006 came to 1,654,025, which represents a 10% increase on the first six months of the year before, i.e. 157,000 more overnight stays than in the first six months of 2005. Overnight stays presented a positive variation in the provinces of Bizkaia and Guipúzcoa, where they rose by 17% and 8%, respectively, but fell by 2% in Álava due to the decrease in the average stay in this province (-7%).

The average length of stay per visitor rose from 1.82 days in the first six months of last year to 1.83 days this year for the whole of the A.C. of the Basque Country. This slight improvement is based on Gipuzkoa (rising from 1.86 to 1.93 days), and to a lesser extent Bizkaia, which rose from 1.81 to 1.82, as this indicator contracted in Alava from 1.79 days a year before to 1.66 the first six months of 2006.

The level of occupancy by places recovered by point five with regard to the same period the year before, from 42.27% in the first six months of 2005 and reached 42.78% over the first six months of 2006. This gain came from Gipuzkoa (6%), as there was no variation at all in Bizkaia (0.0%) and this variable fell in Alava (-6%).

Agrotourism: 9% Increase in visitor entries and 13% rise in overnight stays over the first six months of 2006

43,773 visitor entries were registered at agrotourism establishments in the A.C. of the Basque Country over the first six months of 2006, 9% more than over the same period the year before, rising by 17% in Gipuzkoa and 4% in Bizkaia, but falling by 7% in Álava.

Overnight stays at agrotourisms in the A.C. of the Basque Country came to 104,806 over the first six months of 2006, which represents a 13% increase with regard to the same period in 2005, with 19% inter-annual growth in Gipuzkoa, 8% in Bizkaia and 4% in Álava.

The average stay per visitor rose from 2.30 days last year to 2.39 days for the first six months of this year. This positive evolution affected all three provinces of the A.C. of the Basque Country: Alava (11%), Bizkaia (3%) and Gipuzkoa (2%).

The level of occupancy registered a slight growth by almost point three for the whole of the A.C. of the Basque Country, due to the improvements in Gipuzkoa (7%) and Álava (4%), as this indicator last ground in Bizkaia (-10%).

Data balance for the first six months of 2006

Source: EUSTAT