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Press Release 11/21/2012

SURVEY ON TOURIST ESTABLISHMENTS (EETR) OCTOBER 2012

The number of visitors to the Basque Country was down 1.7% in October 2012

There was a drop of 0.9% in overnight stays

There were 207,187 visitors registered in the hotel establishments of the Basque Country in October 2012, 3,499 down on the same month of the previous year, which is a decrease of 1.7%, according to Eustat data. Visitor numbers were down by 11.2% en Álava, but in Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa they were up by 0.1%.

Numbers of visitors from Spain were down by 6.6% in the Basque Country as a whole. Visitors from Spain reduced their presence in the three provinces: in Álava they were down by 15.8%, in Bizkaia they were down by 2.0% and in Gipuzkoa there was a decrease of 8.2%. The number of foreign visitors to the Basque Country as a whole was up by 8.6%. In Álava they increased by 6.1%, in Bizkaia they rose by 4.3% and in Gipuzkoa they were up by 15.0%.

Amongst visitors from within Spain there was an increase in those coming from Andalusia, The Canary Islands, Madrid and Ceuta and Melilla, whilst there was a greater percentage drop in those originating from the Balearics, Comunidad Valenciana, Murcia and Castilla-La Mancha, on the whole. Amongst foreign visitors there were rises, above all, in those coming from Denmark, Japan, Sweden, USA-Canada, Ireland and Holland. The drop in visitors from Luxembourg, Greece, Finland and Italy was particularly noticeable.

Registered overnight stays in October 2012 stood at 395,979, which was 0.9% down on the same month of the previous year, that is, there were 3,698 fewer overnight stays. There was a positive year-on-year change in terms of overnight stays in Gipuzkoa, where they were up 0.8%, but in Álava they dropped 4.6% and in Bizkaia they were down by 1.1%.

The average length of stay increased slightly, up 0.5% with respect to October 2011 for the Basque Country as a whole, going from 1.90 days in October 2011 to 1.91 days in October 2012. In Álava the average stay was 1.93 days compared to the 1.79 days recorded in October 2011; in Bizkaia it went from 1.88 days in October 2011 to 1.85 this October, and in Gipuzkoa the average stay for this October was 1.99 days, compared to the 1.97 days in October 2011.

There was a 1.6% fall in bed occupancy, where it stood at 47.69% in October 2012 for the Basque Country overall. This drop affected the three provinces. In Álava there was a decrease of 1.4%, going from 42.39% in October 2011 to 41.80% this October. In Gipuzkoa there was a negative change of 1.5%, where it went from 50.22% in October 2011 to 49.48% in October 2012, and in Álava there was a fall of 1.9%, with occupancy going from 49.31% in October 2011 to 48.36% in October 2012.

RURAL TOURISM

Visitor numbers fell by 0.3% and overnight stays were up 2.3%, compared to October 2011

In October this year there were 10,284 registered visitors to rural tourism establishments in the Basque Country, which was a fall of 0.3% with respect to the visitors to rural tourism establishments in October 2011. By provinces, it was observed that in Álava there was a drop of 4.5%, in Gipuzkoa there was a drop of 3.4%, but in Bizkaia an increase of 9.7% was observed. There was a 1.3% overall rise in visitors from within Spain to the Basque Country: they were up 5.6% in Bizkaia and 1.4% in Álava, but they were down 1.1% in Gipuzkoa. Foreign visitor numbers were down by 14.6% in the Basque Country as a whole, falling significantly in Álava and Gipuzkoa, but rising in Bizkaia, all in percentage terms.

Overnight stays in rural tourism establishments in the Basque Country stood at 19,868 in October, which was an increase of 2.3% on the previous year, with year-on-year growth figures positive in Bizkaia, where they were up 14.3%, whereas in Álava they were down 3.2% and in Gipuzkoa they fell by 1.5%.

The average length of stay per visitor increased by 2.7% in the Basque Country as a whole with respect to October 2011, going from 2.26 days one year ago to 2.32 days in October 2012. In Álava there was a rise of 1.4%, with the average stay going from 2.08 days in October 2011 to 2.11 days in October 2012; in Bizkaia there was a rise of 4.3%, with the average stay going from 2.31 days in October 2011 to 2.41 days in October 2012, and in Gipuzkoa there was a rise of 1.7%, where the average stay went from 2.32 days in October 2011 to 2.36 days in the same month of this year.

The bed occupancy rate registered an increase of 0.9%, going from 18.81% occupancy to 18.97% as a result of the rise experienced in the province of Bizkaia, which was up by 17.0%. In Álava y Gipuzkoa, however, there were drops of 6.2% and 4.6%, respectively.