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Press Release 03/20/2013

SURVEY ON TOURIST ESTABLISHMENTS (EETR) FEBRUARY 2013

The number of visitors to the Basque Country was down 5.4% in February 2013

The occupancy rate in hotel establishments stood at 30.25%

There were 123,343 visitors registered in the hotel establishments of the Basque Country in February 2013, 7,096 down on the same month of the previous year, which was a decrease of 5.4%, according to Eustat data. The number of visitors fell by 14.3% in Álava and 6.2% in Bizkaia, but rose by 0.7% in Gipuzkoa.

Visitors from within Spain fell by 7.9% and foreign visitors increased their numbers by 2.4%. Visitors from Spain reduced their presence in the three provinces: in Álava they were down by 16.2%, in Bizkaia they fell by 8.9% and in Gipuzkoa they decreased by 1.0%. Foreign visitor numbers, in contrast, were up in the provinces of Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa, where they increased by 2.0% and 4.9%, respectively, but they were down by 4.1% in Álava.

Amongst travellers from other Autonomous Regions there was a greater percentage increase in those coming from the Canary Islands, Comunidad Valenciana and La Rioja, whilst there was a decrease in those coming from Murcia and Asturias. Amongst foreign visitors there were rises, above all, in those coming from USA-Canada, Japan, Luxemburg and the United Kingdom. The drop in visitor numbers from Denmark, Finland, Greece and Sweden was particularly noteworthy.

Registered overnight stays in February 2013 totalled 214,190, 6.2% down on the same month of the previous year, that is, there were 14,194 fewer overnight stays. There was a year-on-year negative evolution in overnight stays in the three provinces: in Álava they were down 8.4%, in Bizkaia 6.4% and in Gipuzkoa 4.7%.

The average length of stay decreased with respect to February 2012, going from 1.75 days in February 2012 to 1.74 days for the same month of 2013, for the Basque Country as a whole. By provinces, in Álava it increased from 1.88 to 2.01 days, in Bizkaia it maintained similar values to those of February 2012 (1.72 days) and in Gipuzkoa the average length of stay went from 1.72 days in February 2012 to 1.63 days in the same month of 2013.

The bed occupancy rate experienced a decrease of 5.6%, and stood at 30.25% in February 2013 for the Basque Country as a whole. In Gipuzkoa the occupancy rate fell by 13.5%, going from 31.35% in February 2012 to 27.11% this February. In Bizkaia, this fall stood at 2.5%, going from 32.29% in February 2012 to 31.49% in February 2013. In Álava, however, there was a rise of 2.8%, with the occupancy rate going from 32.57% in February 2012 to 33.47% this February.

RURAL TOURISM

Visitor numbers fell by 16.1% and overnight stays were down 18.0%, compared to February 2012

In February this year there were 4,357 registered visitors to rural tourism establishments in the Basque Country, which was a fall of 16.1% with respect to the visitors to rural tourism establishments in February 2012. By provinces, it was observed that in Álava there was a drop of 21.4% and in Gipuzkoa there was a fall of 21.5%, but in Bizkaia there was an upturn of 1.1%. There was an 18.3% decrease in visitors from within Spain to the Basque Country: they were down 19.4% in Álava and 24.9% in Gipuzkoa, and they witnessed a 1.7% downturn in Bizkaia. Foreign visitor numbers increased in the Autonomous Region as a whole, dropping in Álava and rising considerably in Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa, all in percentage terms.

There were 9,445 overnight stays in the rural tourism establishments of the Basque Country in February, which was 18.0% 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 22.8%, whilst in Gipuzkoa they fell by 20.8% and in Bizkaia they did so by 6.8%.

The average length of stay per visitor decreased in the Basque Country as a whole with respect to February 2012, going from 2.22 days one year ago to 2.17 days in February 2013. In Álava there was a drop of 2.1%, with the average stay going from 2.37 days in February 2012 to 2.32 days in February 2013; in Bizkaia the drop was 7.8%, with the average stay going from 2.19 days in February 2012 to 2.02 days in February 2013, but in Gipuzkoa, in contrast, there was a slight increase in the average stay of 0.9%, where it went from 2.17 days in February 2012 to 2.19 days in February 2013.

The bed occupancy rate registered a drop of 10.4%, going from 10.15% occupation to 9.09%, as a consequence of the downturns experienced in Álava, where the fall observed was 13.8%, and in Gipuzkoa, which was down by 15.0%, whereas in Bizkaia there was a rise of 2.7%.