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Press Release 12/19/2012

SURVEY ON TOURIST ESTABLISHMENTS (EETR) NOVEMBER 2012

The number of visitors to the Basque Country was up 4.1% in November 2012

There was a rise of 6.0% in overnight stays

There were 164,764 visitors registered in the hotel establishments of the Basque Country in November 2012, 6,500 up on the same month of the previous year, which is an increase of 4.1%, according to Eustat data. The number of visitors decreased by 0.2% in Álava, but increased 2.9% in Bizkaia and 8.1% in Gipuzkoa.

Numbers of visitors from Spain were up by 2.4%, in the Basque Country as a whole. Spanish visitors reduced their presence in Álava, where they were down by 4.6%, but in Bizkaia they increased by 2.5% and in Gipuzkoa they rose by 6.2%. The number of foreign visitors to the Basque Country overall was up by 9.1%. In Álava they increased by 22.4%, in Bizkaia they rose by 3.8% and in Gipuzkoa they were up by 12.9%.

Amongst visitors from within Spain there was an increase in those coming from Andalusia, Madrid and Murcia, whilst there was a greater percentage drop in those originating from Asturias, Castilla y León, La Rioja and Navarra, on the whole. Amongst foreign visitors there were rises, above all, in those coming from France, Japan and Holland. The drop in visitors from Luxembourg, Ireland, Austria and Denmark was particularly noticeable.

Registered overnight stays in November 2012 stood at 303,038, which was 6.0% up on the same month of the previous year, that is, there were 17,185 more overnight stays. There was a positive evolution in overnight stays in the three provinces: in Gipuzkoa they increased by 7.4%, in Bizkaia they rose by 6.2% and in Álava they were up by 2.8%.

The average length of stay increased by 1.7% with regards to November 2011 for the Basque Country as a whole, going from 1.81 days in November 2011 to 1.84 days in November 2012. In Álava the average stay was 1.86 days compared to the 1.81 days recorded in November 2011; in Bizkaia it went from 1.76 days in November 2011 to 1.82 this November, whereas in Gipuzkoa the average stay was 1.85 days this November, compared to the 1.86 days in November 2011.

There was a 3.3% rise in bed occupancy, where it stood at 38.95% in November 2012 for the Basque Country overall. In Álava there was a rise of 6.8%, going from 35.84% in November 2011 to 38.28% this November. In Bizkaia there was a positive change of 6.8%, where it went from 38.11% in November 2011 to 40.70% in November 2012, whereas in Gipuzkoa there was a fall of 2.7%, with occupancy going from 38.08% in November 2011 to 37.05% in November 2012.

RURAL TOURISM

Visitor numbers rose by 3.5% and overnight stays were up 14.4%, in relation to November 2011

In November this year there were 7,419 registered visitors to rural tourism establishments in the Basque Country, which was a rise of 3.5% with respect to the visitors to rural tourism establishments in November 2011. By provinces, it was observed that in Álava there was a drop of 10.7%, whereas Gipuzkoa experienced a rise of 6.1%, and in Bizkaia an increase of 11.1% was observed. There was a 2.1% overall rise in visitors from within Spain to the Basque Country: they were up 7.1% in Bizkaia and 4.3% in Gipuzkoa, but they fell by 8.0% in Álava. Foreign visitor numbers increased by 23.6% in the Basque Country overall, falling significantly in Álava, but rising in Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa, all in percentage terms.

Overnight stays in rural tourism establishments in the Basque Country stood at 18,514 in November, which was an increase of 14.4% on the previous year, with positive year-on-year figures for Bizkaia, where they were up by 27.5%, and for Gipuzkoa, where they increased by 15.0%, whereas they were down by 4.0% in Álava.

The average length of stay per visitor increased by 10.6% in the Basque Country as a whole with respect to November 2011, going from 2.26 days one year ago to 2.50 days in November 2012. In Álava there was a rise of 7.4%, with the average stay going from 2.04 days in November 2011 to 2.19 days in November 2012; in Bizkaia there was a rise of 14.8%, with the average stay going from 2.29 days in November 2011 to 2.63 days in November 2012, and in Gipuzkoa there was a rise of 8.5%, where the average stay went from 2.34 days in November 2011 to 2.54 days in the same month of this year.

The bed occupancy rate registered an increase of 13.7%, going from 13.54% occupancy to 15.40% as a result of the rises experienced in the provinces of Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa, which were up by 29.2% and 14.2%, respectively. In Álava, however, there was a drop of 7.0%.