Press Release 22/08/2024

SURVEY ON TOURIST ESTABLISHMENTS. Except hotels. July 2024

Visitor numbers rose by 2.5% in rural accommodation and were up 9.6% in tourist apartments in the Basque Country in July

Meanwhile, tourist hostels saw an 18.6% increase in visitor numbers

In rural accommodation in the Basque Country in July 2024 visitor numbers were up 2.5% and overnight stays increased by 0.2% compared to the same month of the previous year, according to Eustat data. The number of visitors reached 24,041 and resulted in 73,311 overnight stays during July.

After increasing by 7.2% in relation to July of the previous year, the number of visitors from abroad accounted for 31.6% of the total number of visitors in July 2024 in rural accommodation in the Basque Country. As regards overnight stays, those by visitors from abroad represented 29.0% of the total, an increase of 1.4% compared to the same month of the previous year.

By province, visitor numbers rose by 16.7% in Álava and 3.2% in Gipuzkoa, whereas in Bizkaia they fell by 4.8%. In the case of overnight stays, these were down 1.3% in Gipuzkoa and 8.4% in Bizkaia, while in Álava they were up 31.8%.

The average length of stay in this type of establishment in the Basque Country was 3.05 days during July, which was below the average length of stay of 3.12 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 0.6 and 1.3 percentage points respectively, the bed occupancy rate standing at 50.7% and that of rooms at 56.0%.

As regards tourist apartments, in July 2024 they welcomed a total of 26,778 visitors, resulting in 79,955 overnight stays. Comparing these figures with those recorded in July the previous year, there was an increase of 9.6% in the case of visitor numbers and a rise of 9.4% 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 from abroad accounted for 49.1% of the total number of visitors and 48.1% of the total number of overnight stays in tourist apartments in the Basque Country, after registering year-on-year increases of 20.9% and 19.9% respectively during July.

The average length of stay in tourist apartments in the Basque Country as a whole was 2.99 days in July 2024, identical to that obtained in July 2023. The average length of stay in this type of establishment was 8.34 days in Álava, 3.24 days in Gipuzkoa and 2.35 days in Bizkaia.

The bed occupancy rate at the Basque Country level reached 52.4%, representing an increase of 2.5 percentage points in relation to July 2023. The apartment occupancy rate showed a year-on-year decrease of 4.6 percentage points, standing at 62.5%.

In respect of tourist hostels in the Basque Country, in July 2024 there was a year-on-year increase of 18.6% in visitor numbers, reaching a total of 32,526 visitors who generated a total of 67,130 overnight stays. 34,233 overnight stays were registered in Bizkaia, 31,3% more than in July 2023, and there were 31,674 in Gipuzkoa, following a year-on-year increase of 18.1%. Lastly, the number of overnight stays in Álava was 1,223, 19.0% more than in the same month of the previous year.

The average length of stay in this type of accommodation in July 2024 was 2.06 days in the Basque Country as a whole and the bed occupancy rate, following a year-on-year increase of 10.4 percentage points, reached 61.2%.

Note:

The response rate for the Survey on Tourist Establishments this month was 90.4% for Rural Accommodation, 78.5% for Tourist Apartments and 66.7% for 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