Press Release 21/01/2014
Visitor numbers were down 1.2% in December in the Basque Country
The balance for 2013 closed with a drop in visitor numbers of 2.1% and a fall in overnight stays of 3.1%
There were 150,908 visitors registered in the hotel establishments of the Basque Country in December 2013, 1,816 down on the same month of the previous year, which was a decrease of 1.2%, according to Eustat data. Visitor numbers were up in Álava, where they increased by 3.2%, but in Bizkaia there was a drop of 2.9% compared to the data from December 2012 and in Gipuzkoa there was a fall of 0.7%
Visitor numbers from within Spain fell by 1.3%, whilst there was a fall in foreign visitor numbers of 0.9%. Spanish visitors increased their presence in Álava, where they were up by 7.3%, but in Bizkaia they decreased by 2.8% and in Gipuzkoa they fell by 3.2%. Foreign visitors were up by 5.3% in Gipuzkoa, but were down by 2.9% in Álava and by 2.9% in Bizkaia.
Registered overnight stays in December 2013 totalled 260,455, which was 4.4% down on the same month of the previous year, that is, there were 11,871 fewer overnight stays. There was a negative year-on-year change in overnight stays in Álava, where they fell by 8.4% and in Bizkaia, where they were down 6.5%, but in Gipuzkoa they were up 0.9%.
The average length of stay stood at 1.73 days and represented a drop with respect to that of the previous year, 1.78 days. In Álava this figure fell from 1.92 in December 2012 to 1.70 this December; in Bizkaia it fell from 1.78 days in December 2012 to 1.71 days this December, and in Gipuzkoa it was up, increasing from 1.73 to 1.76 days.
There was a reduction in the bed occupancy rate for the Basque Country overall, where it went from 33.3% in December 2012 to 31.4% in December this year. Álava witnessed a fall of 3.5 percentage points, dropping from an occupancy rate of 32.8% in December 2012 to a rate of 29.3% this December. Bizkaia also saw a decrease of 3.5 percentage points, going from a bed occupancy rate of 35.8% in December 2012 to a rate of 32.3% in December this year. Gipuzkoa experienced a rise of 0.9 percentage points, increasing from 30.3% to 31.2%. The room occupancy rate also registered a negative variation, of 1.3 percentage points, for the Basque Country as a whole. In both Álava and Bizkaia it decreased by 1.9 and 4 percentage points respectively, whilst in Gipuzkoa, on the other hand, it was up by 2.3 points.
Taking into account the day of the week, at weekends there was a higher occupancy in the Basque Country as a whole in December 2013, with 45.0% of places occupied, whilst the registered occupancy stood at 26.7% on weekdays.
The number of personnel employed in hotel establishments in the Basque Country in December 2013 fell by 1.9% in comparison with December 2012.
2013 balance for hotel establishments: the number of visitors registered a drop of 2.1% and the number of overnight stays in the Basque Country fell by 3.1% compared to the previous year
There were 2,368,080 visitors in 2013, that is, 52,027 fewer than the previous year. The number of visitors increased by 1.8% in Gipuzkoa, but dropped 2.5% in Bizkaia and 10.1% in Álava.
Overnight stays in 2013 stood at 4,478,672, that is, 143,631 overnight stays down on the previous year. Overnight stays were up 2.8% in Gipuzkoa, whereas they were down 4.6% in Bizkaia and 12.5% in Álava.
The average length of stay fell, going from 1.91 days in 2012 to 1.89 days in 2013 in the Basque Country, whilst the bed occupancy rate was down from 46.1% in 2012 to 44.3% in 2013.
RURAL ACCOMMODATION
The number of visitors decreased by 1.4% and the number of overnight stays in rural accommodation fell by 9.2% in the Basque Country in December
Rural tourism establishments and country cottages in the Basque Country recorded a total of 18,139 overnight stays in December, which was a drop of 9.2% in comparison with the same month of the previous year. At provincial level, a decrease of 6.8% was recorded in Bizkaia while Gipuzkoa saw a fall of 9.5%. Álava witnessed a fall of 11.6% in comparison to December 2012.
The bed occupancy rate, 15.2%, also experienced a slight drop of one percentage point in relation to December 2012. The fall experienced in Bizkaia was 1.3 percentage points, with the occupancy rate in December standing at 14.9%. Álava also recorded a decrease of 0.9 percentage points, with the bed occupancy rate remaining at 15.6%. In Gipuzkoa the occupancy rate stood at 15.1%, representing a decrease of 0.7 percentage points in comparison with December 2012.
There were 8,835 visitors to rural tourism establishments in the Basque Country in December, 1.4% down on the same month of the previous year. By province, Bizkaia saw an increase of 4.6% and in Gipuzkoa there was a rise of 0.2%, while Álava registered a drop of 12.6%.
Lastly, the average length of stay per visitor was down from 2.23 days in December 2012 to 2.05 days in December 2013.
2013 annual balance for rural tourism: visitor numbers fell by 9.5% and overnight stays fell by 10.6%
There were 112,131 visitors to rural tourism establishments in the Basque Country in 2013, which was 9.5% down on the previous year, whilst overnight stays stood at 292,937, 10.6% down on 2012.
Visitor numbers decreased in the three provinces: in Bizkaia they fell by 18.8%, in Álava they were down 8.5% and in Gipuzkoa they fell by 4.5%. Overnight stays also fell in the three provinces: by 19.5% in Bizkaia, 13.5% in Álava and 4.7% in Gipuzkoa.
The average stay per visitor fell from 2.64 days in 2012 to 2.61 days in 2013. The bed occupancy rate was down, going from 21.7% in 2012 to 20.0% in 2013.
For further information:
Eustat - Euskal Estatistika Erakundea / Instituto Vasco de Estadística
C/ Donostia-San Sebastián, 1 01010 Vitoria-Gasteiz
Press Service: servicioprensa@eustat.eus Tlf: 945 01 75 62
Further press releases on ETR - Survey on Tourist Establishments of the Basque Country
Databank on ETR - Survey on Tourist Establishments of the Basque Country