166,523 visitors were registered in the hotel establishments of the A.C. of the Basque Country in March 2007, over 14,000 more visitors than in the same month of the previous year, meaning an increase of 9%, according to Eustat data. The number of visitors increased by 15% in Gipuzkoa, 7% in Álava and 6% in Bizkaia.

The number of visitors from other parts of the state grew by 3% and the number of overseas visitors grew by 31%. Numbers of visitors from other parts of the state grew in Gipuzkoa (10%), remained unchanged in Álava (0%) and diminished in Bizkaia (-1%). Overseas visitors increased in number in all three provinces: 41% in Álava, 30% in Gipuzkoa and 29% in Bizkaia.

Among visitors from other parts of the state an increase was registered for those coming from the A.C. of the Basque Country itself, Andalusia, Aragon, the Balearic Islands and Galicia, among others. Numbers fell mainly for those coming from Madrid and Catalonia. Among those coming from overseas, those from Germany, France, Italy, the United Kingdom and USA-Canada increased in number and there was a fall chiefly for those coming from Latin America.

Overnight stays registered in March 2007 came to 299,499, meaning a 6% increase in relation to March of last year, or in other words, 17,000 more overnight stays. Inter-annual evolution of overnight stays was positive in all three provinces: in Álava they grew by 8%, in Gipuzkoa they did so by 6% and in Bizkaia there was a 5% rise.

The average length of stay diminished by three percentage points: it went from 1.85 days last March to 1.80 for this March in the A.C. of the Basque Country as a whole. In Álava it grew by 1%, but diminished by 1% in Bizkaia and 7% in Gipuzkoa.

The degree of occupancy by places experienced a fall of 2%, going from 42.60% in March last year to 41.55% twelve months later. It is worth noting that this decrease affected Gipuzkoa (-4%) and Bizkaia (-3%), whereas in Álava there was a 4% increase.

Agrotourism: There was a rise in the number of visitors (10%) and overnight stays (15%)

8,301 visitors were registered in the agrotourism establishments of the A.C. of the Basque Country in March, 10% more than the same month of the previous year, increasing 45% in Álava, 9% in Bizkaia and 3% in Gipuzkoa. The increase in the number of visitors from other parts of the State was 11% in the A.C. of the Basque Country: they increased by 46% in Álava, 13% in Bizkaia and 2% in Gipuzkoa. The number of overseas visitors diminished by 2% in the A.C. of the Basque Country as a whole, decreasing in Bizkaia (-24%), but rising in Álava (37%) and Gipuzkoa (6%).

There were 18.770 overnight stays in the agrotourism establishments of the A.C. of the Basque Country in March, meaning a 15% rise as regards the same month of the previous year, with positive inter-annual growth rates in Álava (41%), Gipuzkoa (13%) and Bizkaia (8%).

The average stay per visitor increased in the A.C. of the Basque Country as a whole in relation to March 2006, going from 2.16 days a year previously to 2.26 for this March.

The degree of occupancy by places registered a 1% rise, as a consequence of the increase seen in Álava, where there was an 18% rise, whereas in Gipuzkoa and Bizkaia this variable fell by 2%.

Table 1: Monthly results

Source: EUSTAT