Press release 22/06/2020
COVID-19 continued to mark the limited activity of hotel establishments in the Basque Country during May 2020
188 establishments maintained some hotel activity and there were a total of 30,049 overnight stays, more than double those registered in April 2020
Order SND/399/2020, of 9 May, establishes the limitations and conditions by which the hotels and tourist establishments that suspended opening to the public by virtue of Order SND7257/2020, of 19 March, which declared the suspension of the opening of tourist accommodation establishments to the public, may proceed to reopen to the public. Since then, the opening of establishments has been continuous, yet modest at the same time.
In this manner, it was observed that 188 establishments maintained some form of hotel activity in the Basque Country as a whole throughout May, 430 establishments having remained closed during the entire month. These figures, although a long way from those observed in May 2019 (572 establishments with activity and 41 closed for various reasons), show a modest opening of hotel activity compared to April 2020, in which only 56 establishments took in different types of essential personnel, as well as those persons who, due to force majeure or situation of need, required exceptional or seasonal accommodation.
By province, the slight increase in activity was generalised, in Álava going from 6 establishments with activity in April to 20 in May; in Bizkaia it went from 29 establishments with some activity in April to 80 in May and, finally, in Gipuzkoa the number of establishments with activity in May was 88, when in April there were 21. In any case, these figures are a long way from those observed in May 2019 and account for around a third of the establishments that were open the previous year when there were 66 establishments with activity in Álava, 222 in Bizkaia and 284 in Gipuzkoa.
As regards the visitors and overnight stays observed in May 2020, any comparison made with the figures from the same month of 2019 shows the enormous effect of the COVID19 crisis on the hotel sector in the Basque Country. Visitors in May 2020 totalled 7,764, deriving 30,049 overnight stays, compared to the 295,055 visitors and 574,422 overnight stays in the same month of the previous year. Compared to April, when the sector remained practically closed during the entire month, with lows in activity figures never seen before, both visitors and overnight stays increased, visitors going from 1,467 to 7,764 and overnight stays from 13,027 to 30,049.
The slight revival of activity was observed in all three provinces. In Álava, the 627 visitors and 4,125 overnight stays registered in April 2020 went to 1,790 visitors and 7,278 overnight stays in May. In Bizkaia, 159 visitors were observed in April compared to the 2,448 registered in May, going from 4,245 overnight stays to 11,486. Finally, in Gipuzkoa, visitors and overnight stays in May totalled 3,526 and 11,285, compared to the 681 and 4,657 observed the previous month.
The scope of the measures adopted to confront the COVID-19 crisis in rural accommodation was similar to that observed in hotels. Thus, the establishments that registered some form of activity at some point in May totalled 167, compared to the 371 that were open in May 2019. Conversely, a total of 260 establishments remained closed during the entire period, as opposed to the 51 that closed in May 2019. As regards the previous month, an increase in activity was also observed, given that the number of establishments with activity in that month was 31, compared to the aforementioned 167 in May.
Visitors in rural accommodation in the Basque Country rose to 996 in May 2020, compared to the 230 observed in April 2020. These data differ greatly from the 15,688 visitors registered in May 2019. The exceptional measures in place in May therefore also had a very strong impact on the activity of rural accommodation.
By province, Álava recorded 109 visitors and 334 overnight stays, Bizkaia 327 visitors and 1,599 overnight stays and Gipuzkoa 560 visitors and 3,068 overnight stays in May. These figures are far below those observed in May 2019. However, they show a slight recovery in activity following the near total closure observed in April.
NOTE REGARDING THE EFFECT OF THE COVID-19 CRISIS ON THE SURVEY ON TOURIST ESTABLISHMENTS
Royal Decree 463/2020, of 14 March, declared a state of alarm in order to manage the health crisis caused by COVID-19.
The exceptional measures adopted subsequently have had a direct impact on the usual activity of tourist establishments. The closure was practically total until the publication of Order SND/399/2020, of 9 May, establishing the foundations for gradual limited opening.
Due to this situation, obtaining the necessary information for compiling the Survey on Tourist Establishments required a greater degree of effort, by both the personnel dedicated to collecting and processing the information and, above all, the establishments surveyed.
Eustat would like to thank all the establishments that have collaborated in making this effort despite the extraordinary circumstances. As a result, it has been possible to disseminate this information, enabling the effects of the measures adopted on this sector to be quantified.
The dissemination of May shall, for the time being, be limited to this press release. The other products of this operation shall be disseminated when they are considered final.
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