There were 148,209 visitors registered in the hotel establishments of the A.C. of the Basque Country in November 2008, 13,500 down on the same month of the previous year, in other words an 8% decrease, according to Eustat data. The number of visitors decreased by 8% in Álava, 6% in Bizkaia and 12% in Gipuzkoa, compared with the same month of 2007.

The number of visitors from within Spain fell by 7% with respect to November 2007. This number was down in all three provinces. by 7% in Álava, by 1% in Bizkaia and by 13% in Gipuzkoa. The number of overseas visitors decreased in the three provinces: 10% in Álava, 19% in Bizkaia and 8% in Gipuzkoa, resulting in an overall decrease of 14% for the A.C. of the Basque Country.

There was an increase in the number of visitors from Castilla-La Mancha and Castilla y León, while the number of visitors fell from Galicia, Madrid and Catalonia, primarily. In terms of overseas visitors, the number from Latin America and Denmark increased, but there was a drop in visitors from France, Germany, Portugal and the United Kingdom.

Registered overnight stays in November 2008 totalled 273,596, which was 10% down on the same month of the previous year, in other words, there were 30,000 fewer overnight stays. The year-on-year evolution of overnight stays was negative in Alava (-11%), Bizkaia 8-4%) and Gipuzkoa (-16%)..

The average length of stay was down from 1.88 days in November of the previous year to 1.85 in November 2008 for the A.C. of the Basque Country as a whole. It fell in Álava from 1.86 to 1.81 days, in Bizkaia it rose from 1.77 to 1.79 and in the case of Gipuzkoa, it fell from the 2.03 days average stay in November 2007 to 1.93 days last November.

The occupancy rate by bed fell by 14%, and dropped from 44.70% in November of last year to 38.39% this November. In Alava, the occupancy rate by bed fell from 41.56% in November 2007, to 35.16% in November of this year. In Bizkaia, it went from 43.9% in November 2007 to 39.50% in the same month of this year. It also fell in Gipuzkoa and went from 46.86% last year to 38.30% in November 2008. The occupancy rate per room also fell, both in terms of the A.C. of the Basque Country as a whole, and in Alava (-10%), Bizkaia (-9%) and Gipuzkoa (-16%).

Rural tourism: The number of visitors was up by 6% and overnight stays were down by -7%.

There were 7,660 visitors registered in November in rural tourism establishments in the A. C. of the Basque Country; 6% more than the same month of last year, increasing by 17% in Gipuzkoa and down by 4% in Alava and 1% in Bizkaia. The increase in the number of visitors from within Spain was 8% in the A.C. of the Basque Country: the figure increased in Gipuzkoa (24%) and fell in Álava (4%) and Bizkaia (2%). The number of overseas visitors dropped by 18% throughout the A.C of the Basque Country, with the number increasing in Álava (15%) and Bizkaia (25%) and falling in Gipuzkoa (-43%).

Overnight stays in rural tourism establishments of the A.C. of the Basque Country totalled 17,928 in November, which was down by 7% with respect to the same month of the previous year. The year-on-year growth rate was positive in Bizkaia (4%) and negative in Álava (-20%) and Gipuzkoa (-9%).

The average length of stay per visitor in the A.C. of the Basque Country overall decreased with respect to November 2007, falling from 2.68 days a year ago to 2.34 days in the same month of 2008

Table 1: Monthly Results

Source: EUSTAT