Press Release 17/04/2019

SURVEY ON TOURIST ESTABLISHMENTS. MARCH 2019

Visitors to hotel establishments in the Basque Country increased by 3.7% in March 2019

The occupancy rate per room stood at 60.4%, with a 1.5 percentage point increase

There were 238,822 visitors registered in the hotel establishments of the Basque Country in March 2019, 8,549 up on the same month of the previous year, which was an increase of 3.7% according to Eustat data. The number of visitors was down in Álava by 5.3%, whereas in Bizkaia they increased by 5.3%, and in Gipuzkoa, 5.0%, although it should be taken into account when analysing these data that this year Easter fell in April, and last year it was in March.

Furthermore, overnight stays registered in hotel establishments of the Basque Country in March 2019 reached 442,383, which was an increase of 0.3% on those registered in March of the previous year; that is, there were 1,465 more overnight stays. There was a year-on-year upward trend in overnight stays in Álava, where they rose by 1.6% and in Bizkaia, where they were up 0.6%, but in Gipuzkoa they were down 0.5%.

The number of visitors from within Spain rose by 1.6% in the Basque Country compared to March of the previous year, and the number of visitors from abroad saw a significant increase of 8.5%. Álava registered a 4.6% decrease in visitors from within Spain, and a drop of 8.5% in visitors from abroad. In Bizkaia the number of Spanish visitors was up 3.6% and the number of visitors from abroad rose by 9.0%. In Gipuzkoa there was an increase in Spanish visitor numbers of 1.8%, and the number of foreign visitors rose by 11.4%.

The average length of stay in March was 1.85 days, compared to the 1.91 days average stay registered in March 2018. In Álava there was an increase from 1.78 days last year to 1.91 days in March this year; in Bizkaia there was a drop from 1.95 days to 1.86 days; and for its part, the average length of stay in Gipuzkoa was down from 1.92 days in March 2018 to 1.82 days this March.

There was a reduction of 0.3 percentage points in the bed occupancy rate for the Basque Country overall, where it went from 48.7% in March 2018 to 48.4% in March this year. In Álava, there was a rise of 1.9 percentage points, with bed occupancy rates reaching 45.5%. In Bizkaia it was down 0.1 percentage points, reaching an occupancy rate of 49.1% this March. In Gipuzkoa the occupancy rate fell 1.4 percentage points, from the 49.8% reached in March 2018 to 48.4% this March.

The occupancy rate per room also registered an upward trend, with a 1.5 percentage point increase for the Basque Country overall, reaching 60.4%. In Álava it was up 2.9 percentage points, standing at 57.0%; in Bizkaia it rose by 2.3 percentage points to reach 63.2%; whereas in Gipuzkoa it remained unchanged, repeating the bed occupancy rate of 58.3% registered in March 2018.

The highest hotel bed occupancy rate in March 2019 was in Bilbao (56.1%), followed by Donostia-San Sebastián (54.4%) and Gipuzkoa Costa (48.8%).

Taking into account the day of the week, at weekends there was a higher occupancy in the Basque Country as a whole in March 2019, with 62.8% of places occupied, whilst the registered occupancy stood at 41.4% on weekdays.

Finally, with regards to the profitability indicators of the sector, the average daily rate (ADR) of hotels in the Basque Country stood at 73.5 euros in March 2019, 4.1% down on the year before. The average rate stood at 61.5 euros in Álava, down 11.9%; 73.9 euros in Bizkaia, with a decrease of 1.3%, and 77.0 euros in Gipuzkoa, where it fell by 5.1%.

The revenue per available room (RevPAR) in the Basque Country overall, which is dependent on the occupancy rate of hotel establishments, stood at 44.4 euros in March 2019, a 1.6% decrease on March 2018. The RevPAR stood at 35.1 euros in Álava, 46.7 euros in Bizkaia, and 44.9 euros in Gipuzkoa.

In rural accommodation, visitor numbers decreased by 9.8% and overnight stays fell by 23.4% in March 2019

There were 10,622 visitors to rural accommodation in the Basque Country, 9.8% fewer than the same month of the previous year, when Easter was in March. By province, in Álava the number of visitors was down by 14.2% and in Gipuzkoa there was a drop of 16.2%, however in Bizkaia there was an increase of 10.2%.

The 959 visitors originating from abroad signified a decrease of 29.9% with regards to those received a year ago and represented 9.0% of the total number of visitors. For its part, the number of visitors from within Spain fell by 7.2%.

Rural tourism establishments and country cottages in the Basque Country recorded a total of 20,894 overnight stays in March 2019, with a decrease of 23.4% compared to the same month of the previous year. By province, in Álava they were down by 33.7%, in Gipuzkoa 21.1% and in Bizkaia by 20.5%.

The bed occupancy rate stood at 17.3% with a fall of 4.1 percentage points from the figures obtained in March 2018. In Álava it decreased by 6.1 percentage points, standing at 12.3%. In Bizkaia, the occupancy rate stood at 15.3%, which meant a decrease of 3.2 percentage points in relation to March 2018, and in Gipuzkoa it fell by 3.5 percentage points, reaching an occupancy rate of 21.4% this March.

Finally, the average length of stay per visitor decreased this March, going from 2.32 days a year ago to 1.97 this last month.

For further information:

Eustat - Euskal Estatistika Erakundea / Basque Statistics Institute C/ Donostia-San Sebastián, 1 01010 Vitoria-Gasteiz Press Service: servicioprensa@eustat.es Tel: 945 01 75 62