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Press release 20/05/2011

SURVEY ON TOURIST ESTABLISHMENTS (EETR) APRIL 2011

The number of visitors and overnight stays increased by 14% and 17% respectively in April 2011

The 2011 Easter Holiday figures compared to 2010 registered a 18% increase in the number of visitors and overnight stays were up by 15%

There were 209,472 visitors registered in the hotel establishments of the Basque Country in April 2011, 25,462 up on the same month of the previous year, in other words a 14% increase, according to Eustat data. The number of visitors increased by 23% in Bizkaia, 10% in Álava and by 5% in Gipuzkoa, compared with the same month of 2008.

The number of visitors from within Spain rose by 18% compared to April 2010, and foreign visitors were up by 6%. The number of visitors from within the State rose in the three provinces: it was up by 25% in Bizkaia, 16% in Álava and 10% in Gipuzkoa. The number of overseas visitors fell by 18% in Bizkaia, but the figure only dropped in Álava and Gipuzkoa by 7% and 2%, respectively.

Registered overnight stays in April 2011 totalled 387,204, which was 17% up on the same month of the previous year, in other words, there were 54,939 more overnight stays. The year-on-year performance of overnight stays was positive in the three provinces: they were up by 27% in Bizkaia, by 11% in Álava and the number of overnight stays in Gipuzkoa rose by 8%, with respect to April 2010.

The average length of stay increased compared to April 2010: it went from 1.81 days to 1.85 this April for the Basque Country. It rose by 1% in Álava, 3% in Bizkaia and 2% in Gipuzkoa.

The bed occupancy rate was up by nearly seven points for the Basque Country overall, as the occupancy rate rose from 41.62% in April 2010 to 48.43% in the same month of this year. There was a notable increase in Bizkaia as it rose from 38.90% in April last year to 47.92% in April 2010. In Álava, there was a 16% increase and it rose from 38.24% in April 2010 to 44.17% in the same month this year, while Gipzukoa posted a higher occupancy rate this April (51.08%) than the previous one (46.70%).

During the first four months of the year, there were a total of 638,039 visitors registered in the hotel establishments of the Basque Country, which was 8% up on the same period of 2010. The number of overnight stays during this first four-month period came to 1,158,471, 10% up on the figure for the first four months of the previous year. The average stay posted a slight increase for this four-month period, up from 1.78 days to 1.82 days. The bed occupancy rate registered an increase of 11%, from 34.14% in the first four months of 2010 to 37.78% for the same period of 2011.

Rural tourism: The number of visitors (27%) and overnight stays D 20%) up

The number of visitors in rural tourism establishments of the Basque Country totalled 11,448 in April, which was 27% up with respect to the same month of the previous year, and rose by 33% in Álava, 27% in Gipuzkoa and 23% in Bizkaia. There was a 23% increase in the number of visitors from within Spain in the Basque Country: it was up by 29% in Álava, 22% in Gipuzkoa and down by 21% in Bizkaia. The number of overseas visitors increased by 64% for the Basque Country overall, with high percentage increases posted by the three provinces:

There were 31,554 overnight stays in rural tourism establishments of the Basque Country in April, which was 20% up on the same month of the previous year, with significantly year-on-year positive rates in the three provinces.

The average length of stay per visitor decreased with respect to April 2010, rising from 2.91 days a year ago to 2.76 days last April

The bed occupancy rate rose from 22.47% to 26.05%, due to the increase registered in the three provinces: it stood at 21.86% in Álava, it increased to 24.45% in Bizkaia and was 29.24% in Gipuzkoa.

During the first four months of 2011, there were a total of 30,685 visitors registered in the rural tourism establishments of the Basque Country, which was 5% up on the same period of 2010.

The number of overnight stays in the period from January-April 2011 was 74,917, up 4% on the same period of the previous year.

Figures referring to Easter 2011

During the period between the Monday before Easter and the Friday after the Easter weekend (from the 18 to 29 April 2011), there was a 17.6% increase in the number of visitors and overnight stays were up 14.8% compared to the equivalent period of the previous year (from 29 March to 9 April 2010) in the hotel establishments of the Basque Country.

The average stay at Easter increased and rose from 2.00 days in the previous year to 1.95 in 2011. The bed occupancy rate rose from 46.1% in 2010 to 52.5% in 2011.

In rural tourism establishments, in the same period, there was also a 25.9% increase in the number of visitors and overnight stays were up by 19.6%, as the average stay rose from 3.39 days in 2010 to 3.32 days in 2011.

In the main days of the Easter celebrations (Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Saturday), the occupancy rate was 81.5% in hotel establishments, four points up on that registered the previous year (77.9%) and reached 77.6% in the rural tourism establishments compared to 78.9% in 2010.