Press Release 22/10/2014
Visitors to hotel establishments in the Basque Country increased by 1.4% in September 2014
The number of overnight stays registered an increase of 7.6% compared to the same month of the previous year
There were 239,029 visitors registered in the hotel establishments of the Basque Country in September 2014, 3,252 up on the same month of the previous year, which is an increase of 1.4%, according to Eustat data. The number of visitors was up 7.0% in Álava and 3.7% in Gipuzkoa whereas in Bizkaia there was a drop of 2.1%.
Furthermore, overnight stays registered in hotel establishments of the Basque Country in September 2014 reached 495,457, which was an increase of 7.6% on those registered in September of the previous year, that is, there were 35,115 more overnight stays. There was also a positive evolution in overnight states in the three provinces: in Álava they increased by 11.0%, in Bizkaia they grew by 9.3% and in Gipuzkoa they were up by 4.6%.
The number of visitors from within Spain fell by 0.3% compared to September of the previous year, whilst the number of visitors from abroad rose by 3.7%. Álava saw an increase in foreign visitors of 5.4% and a rise in Spanish visitors of 7.7%. In Bizkaia the number of visitors from abroad was up by 3.5%, whereas the number of Spanish visitors fell by 5.9%. In Gipuzkoa there was an increase in foreign visitor numbers of 3.5%, and the number of Spanish visitors rose by 3.8%.
The average length of stay stood at 2.07 days and represented an increase with respect to that of September the previous year, which was 1.95 days. In Álava it went from 1.80 days obtained in September 2013 to 1.86 this September; in Bizkaia it rose from 1.88 days in September 2013 to 2.10 days this September; and for its part, the average length of stay in Gipuzkoa rose slightly from 2.10 days in September 2013 to 2.12 days this September.
There was an increase of 4.7 percentage points in the bed occupancy rate for the Basque Country overall, where it went from 53.9% in September 2013 to 58.6% in September this year. In Álava there was a rise of 5.3 percentage points, where it went from 45.3% occupancy in September 2013 to 50.6% this September. Bizkaia saw an increase of 6.2 percentage points, going from a bed occupancy rate of 53.1% in September 2013 to a rate of 59.3% in September 2014. In Gipuzkoa the occupancy rate increased by 2.3 percentage points, going from 58.7% in September 2013 to 61.0% in September 2014.
The occupancy rate per room was also positive, up by 5.9 percentage points for the Basque Country overall, where the occupancy rate per room stood at 71.5%. In Álava it was up by 6.6 percentage points, standing at 62.8%; and in Bizkaia it increased by 8.0 percentage points, standing at 73.9%; whereas in Gipuzkoa it rose by 2.8 percentage points, standing at 72.0% occupancy per room.
The highest hotel bed occupancy rate in September this year was in Donostia/San Sebastián (70.8%), followed by Bilbao (66.4%) and the Rioja Alavesa (63.0%).
Taking into account the day of the week, at weekends there was a higher occupancy in the Basque Country as a whole in September 2014, with 68.4% of places occupied, whilst the registered occupancy stood at 55.0% on weekdays.
The bed occupancy rate during the Bilbao Basketball World Cup stood at 80.6% in the hotel establishments of Bizkaia
Visitor numbers during the 2014 Bilbao Basketball World Cup increased to 20,727 in the hotel establishments of Bizkaia. These were visits that lasted from 29 August to 04 September 2014 (seven nights). In this same period, the total number of overnight stays in Bizkaia was 62,504, with an occupancy rate per room of 67.5%. In Bilbao the occupancy rate per room stood at 88.1% and per bed it was 72.5%.
The occupancy rate per room during the Vitoria-Gasteiz Jazz Festival stood at 69.3% in the hotel establishments of Álava
Visitor numbers during the 2014 Vitoria-Gasteiz Jazz Festival increased to 8,327 in the hotel establishments of Álava. These were visits that lasted from 1 to 06 September 2014 (6 nights). During this same period, there were a total of 15,142 overnight stays in Álava, 7.7% more than in 2013, when the festival took place from 02 to 07 September. There was also an increase in visitor numbers of 10.6% in the province overall compared to the 2013 festival period. In 2014 the bed occupancy rate was 55.9%. In Vitoria-Gasteiz there were 5,809 visitors and 10,732 overnight stays, with a bed occupancy rate of 56.8% a room occupancy rate of 74.4%. Compared to 2013 visitor numbers increased by 8.3% and overnight stays by 5.5% in the capital.
The bed occupancy rate during the Donostia-San Sebastián Zinemaldia Film Festival stood at 74.3% in the hotel establishments of Gipuzkoa
Visitor numbers during the 2014 Donostia-San Sebastián Zinemaldia Film Festival increased to 26,559 in the hotel establishments of Gipuzkoa. These were visits that lasted from 19 to 27 September 2014 (9 nights). In this same period, the total number of overnight stays in Gipuzkoa was 58,560, with an occupancy rate per room of 61.5%. In Donostia-San Sebastián there were 14,239 visitors and 33,254 overnight stays, with a room occupancy rate of 88.2% and a bed occupancy rate of 71.5%. Compared to 2013, when the festival was held between 20 and 28 September (9 nights), visitor numbers decreased by 0.2% and overnight stays increased by 3.4%, and in Donostia-San Sebastián, visitors were up by 5.9% and overnight stays rose by 5.0%.
In rural accommodation, visitor numbers increased by 24.0% and overnight stays rose by 18.8% in September
Rural tourism establishments and country cottages in the Basque Country recorded a total of 31,893 overnight stays in September, with an increase of 18.8% with respect to the same month of the previous year. At provincial level, they dropped 12.4% in Álava, they were up by 39.7% in Bizkaia and rose by 17.5% in Gipuzkoa.
The bed occupancy rate stood at 26.8% with a rise of 4.7 percentage points from the figures obtained in September 2013. Álava also recorded a decrease of 0.9 percentage points, with a bed occupancy rate of 13.6%. In Bizkaia the occupancy rate stood at 25.3%, representing an increase of 7.4 percentage points in comparison with September 2013. For its part, Gipuzkoa experienced a rise of 5.1 percentage points, with an occupancy rate of 33.1% for September.
There were 13,063 visitors to rural tourism establishments in the Basque Country in September, 24.0% more than the same month of the previous year. By province, in Álava the number of visitors was up by 2.7%, in Bizkaia there was an increase of 41.0%, and in Gipuzkoa there was an increase of 22.2%.
The 2,180 visitors originating from abroad signified an increase of 34.7% with regards to those received a year ago and represented 16.7% of the total number of visitors. For its part, the number of visitors from within Spain rose by 22.0%.
Finally, the average length of stay per visitor decreased this September compared to September 2013, standing at 2.44 days.
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