181,082 visitor entries were registered at hotel establishments in the A.C. of the Basque Country in June 2006, i.e., 18,000 than in the same month the year before, which represents an 11% increase according to Eustat data. Visitor entries increased in all three provinces of the A.C. of the Basque Country: Bizkaia (20%), Álava (5%) and Gipuzkoa (4%).

The number of state visitors rose by 11% with regard to June 2005 and the number of foreign visitors also increased, by the same rate of 11%. State visitors increased in presence in Bizkaia (23%), Gipuzkoa (4%) and Álava (1%). Foreign visitors also increased in number in all three provinces: in Álava by 21%, in Bizkaia by 14% and in Gipuzkoa by 5%.

Among state visitors there was an increase in practically all the Autonomous Communities, with increases in numbers from Madrid, Castile-León, Andalusia, Aragón and Asturias, mainly. There were only decreases in numbers from Catalonia and the Canaries. Among foreign visitors, numbers rose from France, Germany, the UK, Portugal, USA-Canada and South America, but fell from Austria and Greece.

Overnight stays registered in June 2006 came to 334,680, which represents a 9% increase on June the year before, i.e. 27,000 more overnight stays. The inter-annual evolution was positive in Bizkaia (20%) and Gipuzkoa (4%), but negative in Alava where there was a 6% decrease.

The length of the average stay fell by 2%, from 1.89 days the year before to 1.85 days per average visitor in June this year for the whole of the A.C. of the Basque Country. This index has settled at the same level as the year before in the case of Gipuzkoa (1.99 days in both reference periods) and Bizkaia (1.79 days both in June last year and June this year) but fell substantially in Álava, from 1.84 days in June 2005 to 1.64 days the same month in 2006.

The level of occupancy by places registered a point 4 drop, falling from 50.76% in June last year to 50.34% in June this year. This negative evolution only affects Álava (-10%), as in the cases of Gipuzkoa and Bizkaia there were slight improvements in the level of occupancy by places. However, the level of occupancy by rooms recovered three percentage points in the whole of the A.C. of the Basque Country, although this index also lost positions in Álava (-7%), but not in Gipuzkoa or Bizkaia, where they gained 8 and 4 percentage points respectively.

Agrotourism: Visitor entries (7%) and overnight stays (15%) increased

9,207 visitor entries were registered in June this year at agrotourism establishments in the A.C. of the Basque Country, 7% more than the same months the year before, with increases of 19% in Gipuzkoa and 6% in Bizkaia, but a 22% decrease in Álava. The growth in state visitors was 7% in the A.C. of the Basque Country, while the number of foreign visitors at agrotourism establishments in the A.C. of the Basque Country did not vary (0.0%) between June 2005 and the same month in 2006.

Overnight stays at agrotourism establishments in the A.C. of the Basque Country came to 21,744 in June, which represents a 15% increase with regard to the same months the year before, with positive inter-annual evolution rates in Gipuzkoa (22%) and Bizkaia (12%), while there was a 5% reduction in Alava.

The average stay per visitor improved on the previous level for the whole of the A.C. of the Basque Country with regard to June 2005, rising from 2.20 days a year ago to 2.36 this last June. This indicator has gained positions in all three provinces: Álava (22%), Bizkaia (5%) and Gipuzkoa (3%).

The level of occupancy by places registered a 1% increase and the level of occupancy by rooms rose by 8% with regard to the position in June 2005, in the whole of the A.C. of the Basque Country.