HomeThemesTourism satellite accountPress releases Tourism's contribution...

Press Release 11/02/2016

TOURISM SATELLITE ACCOUNT 2010-2014(a)

Tourism's contribution to the economy of the Basque Country reached 5.9% in 2014

For the first time, inbound tourism made up 50% of total tourist spending

Tourist spending in the Basque Country in 2014 stood at 3.922 billion euros, which meant a 5.9% contribution to GDP, one tenth more than the previous year, according to Eustat data.

Participation by the tourism sector in the Basque economy increased by five tenths since 2010, reaching its maximum value in 2014. This increase is almost completely based on inbound tourism, i.e. spending in the Basque Country by tourists and day-trippers who come from abroad or the rest of Spain, which has been increasing its share of overall spending, reaching 50.5% in 2014, overtaking for the first time the other components of tourism spending. Specifically, between 2010 and 2014, the contribution of inbound tourism to total tourist spending increased by 3.2 percentage points.

The "Other components of tourist spending", which include spending by tourists and day-trippers resident in the Basque Country, companies, and Basque public administrations in the Basque Country, reached 49.5% in 2014, having decreased every year from 2010.

Table 1. Contribution of tourism to the GDP of the Basque Country. Current Prices. 2010-2014(a)
Source: Eustat. Tourism satellite account

Within tourist spending, it is striking to note the importance of day-trips (which includes all tourist trips in which the traveller does not spend the night away from their usual residence), both of residents of the Basque Country and those from the rest of Spain and abroad, with the latter being the most important in Gipuzkoa, due to its border with France.

The historical negative balance of tourism in the Basque Country improved by almost 326 million euros between 2010 and 2014

The Basque Country continues to stand out due to the importance of its outbound tourism (journeys and trips by Basque residents outside of the Basque Country) compared with inbound tourism (journeys and trips by non-residents within the Autonomous Region), which created a deficit of 2.172 billion euros, 3.2% of GDP in 2014. However, during the period 2010-2014, this balance decreased due to inbound tourism becoming more dynamic.

Balance of tourism flows of the Basque Country
Source: Eustat. Tourism satellite account

In the three provinces, the economic importance of tourism grew in 2014

In terms of spending, Bizkaia represented 43.9% of the total in 2014, followed very closely by Gipuzkoa with 41.7%, and Álava, where spending made up 14.4% of the total. All three provinces saw an improvement compared with 2013, although it was greater in Gipuzkoa, with an increase of 4.0%; in Bizkaia the growth was 2.6% and in Álava it was 2.2%.

Gipuzkoa's historical tradition of tourism, linked to its capital city and coastline, has gradually given way to the greater prominence of Bizkaia, which has managed to consolidate its higher level of tourist spending year on year.

Nevertheless, Gipuzkoa remains the Basque province for which tourism acts as a driving force in the economy, despite the increased prominence of the other two territories. In 2014 tourist spending in Gipuzkoa represented 7.4% of its GDP, whilst in Bizkaia the same indicator rose to 5.1% (a historic high in both) and in Álava it was 5.2%.

Table 2: Contribution of tourism to the Basque economy by province and year, Absolute value and percentage on the GDP p.m. Current prices (a). 2005-2013
Source: Eustat. Tourism satellite account