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Press Release 02/25/2013

SURVEY ON TOURIST ESTABLISHMENTS (EETR) JANUARY 2013

The number of visitors to the Basque Country was down 6% in January 2013

Foreign visitor numbers remained positive whilst there was a downturn in the number of visitors from within Spain

There were 115,002 visitors registered in the hotel establishments of the Basque Country in January 2013, 7,319 down on the same month of the previous year, which was a decrease of 6%, according to Eustat data. The number of visitors fell by 15.8% in Álava, 6.4% in Bizkaia and 0.6% in Gipuzkoa.

Visitors from within Spain fell by 10.5% and foreign visitors rose by 8.2%. Visitors from Spain reduced their presence in the three provinces: in Álava they were down by 20.2%, in Bizkaia they fell by 12.1% and in Gipuzkoa they decreased by 2.4%. Foreign visitor numbers, on the other hand, were up in the three provinces: in Álava and Gipuzkoa there were similar increases, of 3.7% and 3.9%, respectively, and in Bizkaia the rise experienced was 12.8%.

Amongst travellers from other Autonomous Regions there was a greater percentage increase in those coming from Andalusia, Catalonia, and Madrid, whilst there was a decrease in those from the Balearics, Murcia and Asturias, on the whole. Amongst foreign visitors there were rises, above all, in those coming from Sweden, Japan, France and the United Kingdom. The drop in visitor numbers from Luxemburg, Denmark, Finland and Italy was particularly noteworthy.

Registered overnight stays in January 2013 totalled 199,121, 8.6% down on the same month of the previous year, that is, there were 18,818 fewer overnight stays. There was a year-on-year negative evolution in overnight stays in the three provinces: in Álava they were down 20.4%, in Bizkaia 7.6% and in Gipuzkoa 4.1%.

The average length of stay dropped slightly with respect to January 2012, going from 1.78 days a year ago to 1.73 days in January 2013, for the Basque Country as a whole. By provinces, in Álava it dropped from 1.95 to 1.85 days, in Bizkaia it went from 1.76 to 1.74 days, whilst in Gipuzkoa it went from 1.73 days in January 2012 to 1.67 days in the same month of 2013.

The bed occupancy rate was down 9.4%, and stood at 26.77% in January 2013 for the Basque Country as a whole. This drop affected the three provinces. In Bizkaia the occupancy rate fell by 6.6%, going from 30.49% in January 2012 to 28.48% this January. In Gipuzkoa, this reduction stood at 11.9%, going from 29.74% in January 2012 to 26.21% In January 2013. In Álava there was a drop of 14.1%, with the occupancy rate going from 26.71% in January 2012 to 22.94% this January.

RURAL TOURISM

Visitor numbers fell by 18.1% and overnight stays were down 21.8%, compared to January 2012

In January this year there were 3,522 registered visitors to rural tourism establishments in the Basque Country, which was a fall of 18.1% with respect to visitors to rural tourism establishments in January 2012. By provinces, it was observed that in Álava there was a drop of 13.4%, in Bizkaia there was a fall of 12.5% and Gipuzkoa saw a downturn of 22.1%. There was an 18% decrease in visitors from within Spain to the Basque Country: they were down 3.5% in Álava and 22% in Gipuzkoa, and they witnessed a 20.1% downturn in Bizkaia. Foreign visitor numbers were down considerably in the Autonomous Region, with none registered in Álava, a drop Gipuzkoa and a noticeable increase in Bizkaia, all in percentage terms.

There were 7,878 overnight stays in the rural tourism establishments of the Basque Country in January, which was 21.8% down on the same month of the previous year, with negative year-on-year rates in the three provinces: in Álava they were down by 27.8%, whilst in Gipuzkoa they fell by 21.7% and in Bizkaia they did so by 17.7%.

The average length of stay decreased in the Basque Country as a whole with respect to January 2012, going from 2.34 days one year ago to 2.24 days in January 2012. In Álava there was a drop of 16.5%, with the average stay going from 2.18 days in January 2012 to 1.82 days in January 2013; in Bizkaia the drop was 5.9%, with the average stay going from 2.53 days in January 2012 to 2.38 days in January 2013, and in Gipuzkoa, in contrast, there was a slight increase in the average stay of 0.9%, where it went from 2.32 days in January 2012 to 2.34 days in January 2013.

There was a drop of 18.7% in the bed occupancy rate, where it went from 8.55% to 6.95%, as a result of the fall experienced in the three provinces. In Álava the fall observed was 23.5%, in Gipuzkoa it stood at 20.6% and Bizkaia experienced a downturn of 12%.