119,493 visitors were registered in the hotel establishments of the A.C. of the Basque Country in January 2008, 11,000 more visitors than in the same month of last year, meaning a 10% increase, according to Eustat data. The number of visitors increased by 13% in Álava and Gipuzkoa and by 7% in Bizkaia.

The number of visitors from within the state grew by 11% and the number of overseas visitors rose by 9%. Visitors from within the state increased in number in all three provinces. In Álava numbers rose by 15%, in Gipuzkoa they did so by 11% and in Bizkaia they increased by 9%. The number of foreigners also increased in all three provinces: by 22% in Gipuzkoa, by 7% in Álava and by 1% in Bizkaia.

Among visitors from within the state an increase was registered for those coming from Catalonia, Madrid and Andalucía in particular. There was a fall among those coming from the Balearic Islands, the Canary Islands, Murcia and Navarre. Among foreigners, those coming from France, Italy, Portugal, Germany, Latin America and Belgium, among others, increased in number while those coming from the United Kingdom, Greece and USA-Canada, among others, decreased.

Overnight stays registered in January 2008 came to 218,959, representing a rise of 11% in relation to January of the previous year, which is to say over 22,000 more overnight stays. The inter-annual evolution of overnight stays was positive in all three provinces: in Álava they grew by 6%, in Bizkaia they did so by 10% and in Gipuzkoa there was a 15% rise.

The length of the average length of stay went from 1.82 days last year to 1.83 this January, for the A.C. of the Basque Country as a whole. This index diminished in Álava (-6%) but increased in Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa (2%, in both cases).

The degree of occupancy by place experienced a 7% increase, going from 31.08% in January of last year to 33.25% this January. It should be noted that this increase affected Gipuzkoa (9%) and Bizkaia (8%), while the increase was more moderate in Álava (1%).

4,178 visitors were registered in the agrotourism establishments of the A.C of the Basque Country in January, 1% less than in the same month of last year, increasing by 10% in Gipuzkoa and decreasing by 8% in Bizkaia and by 12% in Álava. The fall seen among visitors from within the state was 5% in the A.C. of the Basque Country overall: they decreased by 22% in Álava and by 8% in Bizkaia, but in Gipuzkoa they increased by 5%. The number of foreigners increased by 69% in the A.C. of the Basque Country as a whole, reducing in Bizkaia (-13%), but rising dramatically, in percentage terms, in Álava and Gipuzkoa.

Overnight stays in the agrotourism establishments of the A.C. of the Basque Country came to 10,511 in January, meaning an 8% decrease as regards the same month of last year, with positive inter-annual growth rates in Gipuzkoa (10%), but falling in Álava and Bizkaia by 32% and by 18% respectively.

The average length of stay per visitor decreased in the A.C. of the Basque Country overall as regards January 2007, going from 2.70 days a year earlier to 2.52 this January, with this negative evolution extending to the provinces of Álava and Bizkaia, while there was no variation in the index in Gipuzkoa.

The degree of occupancy by place registered a 14% decrease as a result of the falls suffered in Álava (-36%) and Bizkaia (-26%), even though in Gipuzkoa there was a 5% increase.

Table 1: Monthly Results

Source: EUSTAT