The summer months of 2007 (June, July and August) saw 25,000 more visitors registered in the hotel establishments of the A.C. of the Basque Country than in the same period of 2006, of which 13,000 corresponded to August, according to Eustat data.

236,415 visitors were registered in August 2007, which meant a 6% increase. The number of visitors increased in the provinces of Gipuzkoa (14%) and Bizkaia (3%), but not so in Álava, where there was a 5% reduction, in relation to the figures from August 2006.

The number of visitors from within the state decreased by 2%, while the number of visitors coming from overseas increased by 19%. The number of visitors from within the state only increased in the province of Gipuzkoa, whereas those coming from overseas increased in number in all three provinces: Bizkaia (20%), Gipuzkoa (19%) and Álava (16%).

Among visitors from within the state an increase was seen for those coming from Madrid and Asturias, among others. There was a fall mainly in the number of those coming from Catalonia, Community of Valencia and Andalusia. Among foreigners there was a rise for those coming from France, Belgium, Germany and the United Kingdom among others, with a fall for those from USA-Canada and Japan.

Overnight stays registered in August 2007 came to 498,102, which represents a 3% drop in relation to last August, which is to say 17,000 overnight stays less. The number of overnight stays evolved positively in Gipuzkoa (2%) and decreased by 16% in Álava and 5% in Bizkaia.

The average length of stay underwent an 8% decrease in August 2007 for the A.C. of the Basque Country as a whole, going from 2.30 days to 2.11 days.

The occupancy rate by place registered a 10% decrease and the occupancy rate by room one of 8% as regards August 2006. The occupancy rate by place fell from 73.40% to 66.35% and the occupancy rate by room fell from 77.72% to 71.75%. This fall was partly due to a fall in the average stay and partly to the increase in the number of hotel establishments.

If we turn to the balance for the summer months of June, July and August 2007, we can see that there was an increase of 4% in the number of visitors to the A.C. of the Basque Country as regards the same period of 2006. By province, Bizkaia had a 6% increase, Gipuzkoa an increase of 4% and in Álava there was a decrease of 2%.

In this same period overnight stays experienced a 1% increase, totalling 11,000 overnight stays more than the previous year. They increased in Bizkaia (4%), remained unchanged in Gipuzkoa (0.0%) and decreased in Álava (-6%).

AGROTOURISM

There was an increase in the number of visitors (11%) and overnight stays (2%) in August 2007

August saw 14,554 visitors registered in the agrotourism establishments of the A.C. of the Basque Country, 11% more than in the same month of the previous year, growing 28% in Álava, increasing 11% in Gipuzkoa and rising 3% in Bizkaia. The increase seen as regards visitors from within the state came to 10% in the A.C. of the Basque Country and those coming from overseas increased in number by 14%.

Overnight stays in the agrotourism establishments of the A.C. of the Basque Country came to 69,465 in August 2007, meaning a 2% increase as regards the same month of last year, with positive inter-annual growth in Gipuzkoa (4%) and Bizkaia (1%) and negative rates in Álava (-3%).

The average rate of stay per visitor lost ground, going from 5.18 days last year to 4.77 this August.

The occupancy rate by place worsened by 11% and the occupancy rate by room did so by 9%.

In the three months of June, July and August 2007 1% more visitors were registered in the agrotourism establishments of the A.C. of the Basque Country than in the same months of last year, which is to say almost 500 more visitors while overnight stays remained unchanged (0.0%). Although the number of overnight stays remained steady from a year earlier, the occupancy rate fell as a result of the greater number of agrotourism establishments in existence.

Table 1: Monthly results

Source: EUSTAT