Press Release 21/03/2024
SURVEY ON TOURIST ESTABLISHMENTS. Except hotels. February 2024
The number of visitors in rural accommodation in the Basque Country decreased by 3.4% in February 2024 and overnight stays were down 0.7%
In tourist apartments, visitor numbers rose by 22.9% and overnight stays by 5.4%, with an average length of stay of 4 days
The number of visitors in rural accommodation in the Basque Country fell by 3.4% in February 2024 compared to the same month of the previous year, according to Eustat data. With this year-on-year decrease, the total number of visitors in February stood at 5,836. Meanwhile, the number of overnight stays dropped by 0.7% in year-on-year terms in February 2024, standing at 12,196 for the month as a whole.
Visitors, overnight stays, average length of stay and bed occupancy rates in rural tourism establishments in the Basque Country. February 2024
| | Visitors | Overnight stays | Average stay | Occupancy rates (%) |
| | | by seats | by rooms |
| | 02/2024 | m/m-12 (%) | 02/2024 | m/m-12 (%) | 02/2024 | 02/2023 | 02/2024 | p.p. * | 02/2024 | p.p. * |
| BASQUE COUNTRY | 5.836 | -3,4 | 12.196 | -0,7 | 2,09 | 2,03 | 12,9 | 0,5 | 16,0 | 0,7 |
| State origin | 5.110 | -3,1 | 10.204 | -3,6 | 2,00 | 2,01 | - | - | - | - |
| Foreign origin | 726 | -5,2 | 1.992 | 17,0 | 2,74 | 2,22 | - | - | - | - |
| | | | | | | | | | | |
| Araba/Álava | 893 | -3,1 | 1.704 | -10,3 | 1,91 | 2,06 | 7,2 | -0,4 | 9,3 | 0,0 |
| State origin | 754 | -12,7 | 1.255 | -29,4 | 1,66 | 2,06 | - | - | - | - |
| Foreign origin | 139 | 139,7 | 449 | 265,0 | 3,23 | 2,12 | - | - | - | - |
| | | | | | | | | | | |
| Bizkaia | 1.355 | -21,5 | 2.660 | -28,4 | 1,96 | 2,15 | 9,9 | -3,6 | 12,7 | -4,9 |
| State origin | 1.234 | -22,2 | 2.455 | -28,8 | 1,99 | 2,17 | - | - | - | - |
| Foreign origin | 121 | -14,2 | 205 | -22,6 | 1,69 | 1,88 | - | - | - | - |
| | | | | | | | | | | |
| Gipuzkoa | 3.588 | 5,8 | 7.832 | 17,4 | 2,18 | 1,97 | 17,9 | 3,5 | 21,8 | 4,5 |
| State origin | 3.122 | 10,6 | 6.494 | 21,2 | 2,08 | 1,90 | - | - | - | - |
| Foreign origin | 466 | -17,8 | 1.338 | 1,8 | 2,87 | 2,32 | - | - | - | - |
p.p.*= difference in percentage points on the same month of the previous year
m/m12 Rate of year-on-year change in the last observed month (m) compared to the same month of the previous year (m-12)
Date March 21, 2024
Source: Eustat Tourist accommodating establishments survey
87.6% of visitors registered at rural accommodation in the Basque Country in February 2024 were from the rest of Spain, although this was a decrease of 3.1% in relation to the same month of the previous year. The total number of overnight stays by visitors from within Spain fell by 3.6% in year-on-year terms to stand at 10,204.
There was a year-on-year decrease in visitor numbers of 3.1% in Álava and 21.5% in Bizkaia, while in Gipuzkoa the number of visitors increased by 5.8%. As regards overnight stays, they were down 10.3% in Álava and 28.4% in Bizkaia, standing at 1,704 and 2,660, respectively. In Gipuzkoa, on the other hand, overnight stays rose by 17.4% compared to February 2023, registering a total of 7,832 overnight stays.
The average length of stay in this type of establishment in the Basque Country was 2.09 days in February 2024, a figure higher than the average length of stay of 2.03 days observed in the same month of 2023. The average length of stay refers to the number of days that, on average, travellers remain in each of the establishments where they stay overnight, and not the total length of their stay in the Basque Country.
Bed and room occupancy rates experienced a year-on-year increase of 0.5 and 0.7 percentage points, respectively, the bed occupancy rate standing at 12.9% and that of rooms at 16.0%.
As regards tourist apartments, in February 2024 they welcomed a total of 9,885 visitors, resulting in 39,553 overnight stays. Compared to the previous February, the increases were 22.9% in the case of visitor numbers and 5.4% in that of overnight stays.
Each of the accommodation units offered under a business operating unit, managed under the block or combined mode, is referred to as a tourist apartment. Private dwellings offered, marketed or temporarily relinquished for reasons of tourism are not included under the heading of dwellings for tourism use.
Visitors, overnight stays, average length of stay and bed occupancy rates in tourist apartments of the Basque Country. February 2024
| | Visitors | Overnight stays | Average stay | Occupancy rates (%) |
| | | by seats | by apartaments |
| | 02/2024 | m/m-12 (%) | 02/2024 | m/m-12 (%) | 02/2024 | 02/2023 | 02/2024 | p.p. * | 02/2024 | p.p. * |
| BASQUE COUNTRY | 9.885 | 22,9 | 39.553 | 5,4 | 4,00 | 4,66 | 30,3 | -1,3 | 58,5 | -1,7 |
| State origin | 6.984 | 16,9 | 26.653 | 0,9 | 3,82 | 4,42 | - | - | - | - |
| Foreign origin | 2.901 | 40,2 | 12.901 | 16,2 | 4,45 | 5,36 | - | - | - | - |
| | | | | | | | | | | |
| Araba/Álava | 549 | -29,6 | 7.072 | -9,5 | 12,89 | 10,03 | 23,8 | -3,7 | 72,3 | 0,8 |
| State origin | 514 | -27,7 | 4.759 | -20,2 | 9,25 | 8,38 | - | - | - | - |
| Foreign origin | 34 | -49,5 | 2.312 | 24,5 | 29,00 | 27,19 | - | - | - | - |
| | | | | | | | | | | |
| Bizkaia | 6.981 | 34,9 | 15.804 | 14,7 | 2,26 | 2,66 | 27,2 | -0,6 | 37,9 | -3,0 |
| State origin | 4.821 | 25,8 | 10.460 | 6,2 | 2,17 | 2,57 | - | - | - | - |
| Foreign origin | 2.160 | 60,7 | 5.345 | 36,0 | 2,47 | 2,92 | - | - | - | - |
| | | | | | | | | | | |
| Gipuzkoa | 2.355 | 12,6 | 16.677 | 4,7 | 7,08 | 7,61 | 38,8 | -0,2 | 73,6 | 0,4 |
| State origin | 1.649 | 15,0 | 11.434 | 7,8 | 6,93 | 7,40 | - | - | - | - |
| Foreign origin | 706 | 7,4 | 5.244 | -1,4 | 7,43 | 8,09 | - | - | - | - |
p.p.*= difference in percentage points on the same month of the previous year
m/m12 Rate of year-on-year change in the last observed month (m) compared to the same month of the previous year (m-12)
Date March 21, 2024
Source: Eustat Tourist accommodating establishments survey
Visitors from abroad accounted for 29.3% of visitors and 32.6% of overnight stays in tourist apartments in the Basque Country, after registering year-on-year increases of 40.2% and 16.2%, respectively.
The average length of stay for this type of establishment was 4.00 days in February 2024, below that obtained in February 2023, which stood at 4.66 days.
At provincial level, the average length of stay in February 2024 was 2.26 days in Bizkaia, 7.08 days in Gipuzkoa and 12.89 days in Álava.
The bed occupancy rate at the Basque Country level reached 30.3%, following a decrease of 1.3 percentage points in relation to February 2023. The apartment occupancy rate dropped by 1.7 percentage points to stand at 58.5%.
With regard to tourist hostels, in February 2024 visitor numbers and overnight stays totalled 8,115 and 16,973, respectively. In relation to February of the previous year, these totals meant a drop of 3.6% in the case of visitor numbers and an increase of 4.6% in that of overnight stays.
The average length of stay was 2.09 days, as opposed to the 1.93 days observed in February 2023, and the occupancy rate was 21.0%, 2.3 points below that registered in the same month of the previous year.
Note:
The response rate of the Survey on Tourist Establishments in February 2024 was 95.8% for Rural Accommodation, 92.0% for Tourist Apartments and 88.3% in the case of Tourist Hostels.
Eustat would like to thank all establishments that participated in this survey for their effort.
For further information:
Eustat - Euskal Estatistika Erakundea / Basque Statistics Institute
C/ Donostia-San Sebastián, 1 01010 Vitoria-Gasteiz
Press Service: Tel.: 945 01 75 62