There were 178,234 visitors registered in the hotel establishments of the A.C. of the Basque Country in October 2008, 3,000 down on the same month of the previous year, in other words a 2% decrease, according to Eustat data. The number of visitors decreased by 6% in Álava and in Bizkaia, but were up by 6% in Gipuzkoa, compared to the same month of 2007.

The number of visitors from within Spain remained steady (0%) with respect to October 2007. This number was down in Alava (-7%) and Bizkaia (-1%) but rose in Gipuzkoa (5%). The number of overseas visitors also fell in Álava (-4%) and Bizkaia (-15%) and rose in Gipuzkoa (7%), resulting in an overall decrease of 6% for the A.C. of the Basque Country.

There was an increase in the number of visitors from Cantabria, Castilla y León, Comunidad Valenciana, Galicia and Navara, while there was a decrease in visitors from the Asturias, Madrid and Catalonia, primarily. As regards the number of overseas visitors, special mention should be made in the increase in the number from Germany, Austria, Greece, Sweden and from the countries of Eastern Europe, while there were fewer visitors from Portugal, Italy, Belgium, Ireland and the United Kingdom, among others.

Registered overnight stays in October 2008 totalled 336,511, which was 1% down on October of the previous year, in other words, there were 2,000 fewer overnight stays. The year-on-year evolution of overnight stays was negative in Bizkaia (-2%), but was up by 1% in Álava and in Gipuzkoa.

The length of the average stay went from 1.87 days in October of the previous year to 1.89 in this October for the A.C. of the Basque Country as a whole. It rose in Álava from 1.70 to 1.82 days, in Bizkaia from 1.81 to 1.88 and in the case of Gipuzkoa, it fell from the 2.02 days average stay in October 2007 to 1.92 days last October.

The occupancy rate by bed fell by 3%, and dropped from 47.08% in October of last year to 45.53% this October. In Álava, the occupancy rate by be fell from 42.33% in October 2007 to a nearly identical one (42.88%) in October 2008. In Bizkaia, the rate of 47.82% of October 2007 rose to 44.93% last October. It fell slightly in Gipuzkoa, from 47.98% of the last year to 47.42% in October 2008. The occupancy rate per room remained steady for the A.C. of the Basque Country as a whole, with although it performed differently between the three territories: it remained steady in Bizkaia, rose by three points in Álava and fell by slightly over a percentage point in Gipuzkoa.

Rural tourism: The number of visitors and overnight stays fell by -4% and -5% respectively.

There were 9,062 visitors registered in October in rural tourism establishments in the A. of the Basque Country, 4% down on the same month of the previous year. The number increased by 3% in Bizkaia and fell by 15% in Álava and by 4% in Gipuzkoa. There was a 5% decrease in the number of visitors from within Spain in the A.C. of the Basque Country: the figure remained unchanged in Bizkaia (0%) and fell in Álava (-15%) and Gipuzkoa (-5%). The number of overseas visitors increased by 12% throughout the A.C of the Basque Country, with the number up in Bizkaia (41%) and Gipuzkoa (1%) and down in Álava (-3%).

Overnight stays in rural tourism establishments of the A.C. of the Basque Country totalled 21,210 in October, which was down by 5% with respect to the same month of the previous year. The year-on-year growth rate was positive in Bizkaia (3%) and negative in Álava (-14%) and Gipuzkoa (-7%).

The average length of stay per visitor in the A.C. of the Basque Country overall decreased with respect to October 2007, falling from 2.38 days a year ago to 2.34 days in October 2008

Table 1: Monthly Results

Source: EUSTAT