Press Release 21/02/2025
SURVEY ON TOURIST ESTABLISHMENTS. Except hotels. January 2025
The number of visitors in rural accommodation in the Basque Country rose by 26.8% in January 2025 and overnight stays were up 46.8%
Visitor numbers increased by 50.2% in tourist apartments and 28.0% in tourist hostels
The number of visitors in rural accommodation in the Basque Country rose by 26.8% in January 2025 compared to the same month of the previous year, according to Eustat data. With this year-on-year increase, the total number of visitors in January stood at 4,815. Meanwhile, the number of overnight stays increased by 46.8% in year-on-year terms in January 2025, standing at 11,568 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. January 2025
| | Visitors | Overnight stays | Average stay | Occupancy rates (%) |
| | | by seats | by rooms |
| | 01/2025 | m/m-12 (%) | 01/2025 | m/m-12 (%) | 01/2025 | 01/2024 | 01/2025 | p.p. * | 01/2025 | p.p. * |
| BASQUE COUNTRY | 4.815 | 26,8 | 11.568 | 46,8 | 2,40 | 2,08 | 11,8 | 3,8 | 15,5 | 5,7 |
| State origin | 4.079 | 16,6 | 9.386 | 31,4 | 2,30 | 2,04 | - | - | - | - |
| Foreign origin | 736 | 146,2 | 2.182 | 196,1 | 2,96 | 2,46 | - | - | - | - |
| | | | | | | | | | | |
| Araba/Álava | 1.167 | 25,9 | 2.797 | 57,5 | 2,40 | 1,92 | 10,4 | 3,6 | 13,3 | 5,2 |
| State origin | 1.024 | 13,7 | 2.299 | 32,3 | 2,25 | 1,93 | - | - | - | - |
| Foreign origin | 143 | 450,0 | 498 | 1.210,5 | 3,48 | 1,46 | - | - | - | - |
| | | | | | | | | | | |
| Bizkaia | 1.322 | 12,6 | 3.060 | 26,6 | 2,31 | 2,06 | 11,3 | 2,5 | 14,3 | 3,9 |
| State origin | 1.139 | -0,8 | 2.708 | 18,8 | 2,38 | 1,99 | - | - | - | - |
| Foreign origin | 183 | 603,8 | 352 | 155,1 | 1,92 | 5,31 | - | - | - | - |
| | | | | | | | | | | |
| Gipuzkoa | 2.326 | 37,1 | 5.711 | 54,9 | 2,46 | 2,17 | 12,9 | 4,7 | 17,5 | 7,3 |
| State origin | 1.916 | 32,2 | 4.379 | 40,0 | 2,29 | 2,16 | - | - | - | - |
| Foreign origin | 410 | 66,0 | 1.332 | 137,4 | 3,25 | 2,27 | - | - | - | - |
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 Februay 21, 2025
Source: Eustat Tourist accommodating establishments survey
84.7% of visitors registered at rural accommodation in the Basque Country in January 2025 were from within Spain, which was an increase of 16.6% in relation to the same month of the previous year. The number of overnight stays by visitors from within Spain rose by 31.4% in year-on-year terms to stand at 9,386, 81.1% of the total number of overnight stays.
The year-on-year increase in visitor numbers reached 12.6% in Bizkaia and 25.9% in Álava, while in Gipuzkoa the number of visitors rose by 37.1%. As regards overnight stays, in Bizkaia they were up 26.6%, standing at 3,060. In Álava they rose by 57.5%, reaching 2,797 and, finally, in Gipuzkoa, with 5,711 overnight stays, the increase was 54.9%.
The average length of stay in this type of establishment in the Basque Country was 2.40 days in January 2025, a figure higher than the average length of stay of 2.08 days observed in the same month of 2024. 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 3.8 and 5.7 percentage points respectively, the bed occupancy rate standing at 11.8% and that of rooms at 15.5%.
As regards tourist apartments, in January 2025 they welcomed a total of 11,918 visitors, resulting in 45,387 overnight stays. Compared to the previous January, the increases were 50.2% in the case of visitor numbers and 19.8% 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. January 2025
| | Visitors | Overnight stays | Average stay | Occupancy rates (%) |
| | | by seats | by apartaments |
| | 01/2025 | m/m-12 (%) | 01/2025 | m/m-12 (%) | 01/2025 | 01/2024 | 01/2025 | p.p. * | 01/2025 | p.p. * |
| BASQUE COUNTRY | 11.918 | 50,2 | 45.387 | 19,8 | 3,81 | 4,77 | 30,0 | 2,8 | 58,1 | 2,9 |
| State origin | 9.863 | 63,5 | 33.231 | 27,7 | 3,37 | 4,32 | - | - | - | - |
| Foreign origin | 2.054 | 7,9 | 12.156 | 2,6 | 5,92 | 6,22 | - | - | - | - |
| | | | | | | | | | | |
| Araba/Álava | 563 | 16,1 | 8.300 | 13,9 | 14,73 | 15,01 | 26,5 | 3,1 | 71,5 | -1,6 |
| State origin | 496 | 14,0 | 5.420 | 9,3 | 10,93 | 11,39 | - | - | - | - |
| Foreign origin | 67 | 34,1 | 2.879 | 23,4 | 31,00 | 31,00 | - | - | - | - |
| | | | | | | | | | | |
| Bizkaia | 8.856 | 65,1 | 18.950 | 41,3 | 2,14 | 2,50 | 27,3 | 5,6 | 38,6 | 7,1 |
| State origin | 7.676 | 89,6 | 15.478 | 71,2 | 2,02 | 2,23 | - | - | - | - |
| Foreign origin | 1.180 | -10,3 | 3.472 | -20,7 | 2,94 | 3,33 | - | - | - | - |
| | | | | | | | | | | |
| Gipuzkoa | 2.498 | 19,7 | 18.138 | 5,6 | 7,26 | 8,23 | 35,9 | -1,5 | 73,5 | 1,9 |
| State origin | 1.692 | 9,2 | 12.333 | 2,5 | 7,29 | 7,77 | - | - | - | - |
| Foreign origin | 807 | 50,0 | 5.805 | 13,0 | 7,19 | 9,55 | - | - | - | - |
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 Februay 21, 2025
Source: Eustat Tourist accommodating establishments survey
Visitors from within Spain accounted for 82.8% of visitors and 73.2% of overnight stays in tourist apartments in the Basque Country, after registering year-on-year increases of 63.5% and 27.7%, respectively.
The average length of stay for this type of establishment was 3.81 days in January 2025, below that obtained in January 2024, which stood at 4.77 days.
At provincial level, the average length of stay in January 2025 was 2.14 days in Bizkaia, 7.26 days in Gipuzkoa and 14.73 days in Álava.
The bed occupancy rate at the Basque Country level reached 30.0% after an increase of 2.8 percentage points in relation to January 2024. The apartment occupancy rate rose by 2.9 percentage points to stand at 58.1%.
In tourist hostels, during January 2025 visitor numbers and overnight stays totalled 7,019 and 12,059, respectively. In relation to January of the previous year, these totals meant an increase of 28.0% in the case of visitor numbers and 0.9% in that of overnight stays.
Visitors, overnight stays, average length of stay and bed occupancy rates in tourist hostels of the Basque Country. January 2025
| | Visitors | Overnight stays | Average stay | Degree of occupation by places (%) |
| | 01/2025 | m/m-12 (%) | 01/2025 | m/m-12 (%) | 01/2025 | 01/2024 | 01/2025 | p.p. |
| BASQUE COUNTRY | 7.019 | 28,0 | 12.059 | 0,9 | 1,72 | 2,18 | 14,9 | 0,3 |
| State origin | 4.229 | 48,9 | 6.991 | 29,4 | 1,65 | 1,90 | - | - |
| Foreign origin | 2.790 | 5,6 | 5.069 | -22,7 | 1,82 | 2,48 | - | - |
| | | | | | | | | |
| Araba/Álava | 392 | 91,1 | 506 | 48,5 | 1,29 | 1,66 | 11,3 | 3,9 |
| State origin | 323 | 72,1 | 437 | 42,3 | 1,35 | 1,64 | - | - |
| Foreign origin | 69 | 293,5 | 69 | 104,6 | 1,00 | 1,92 | - | - |
| | | | | | | | | |
| Bizkaia | 3.154 | -10,0 | 5.918 | -29,1 | 1,88 | 2,38 | 16,1 | -4,5 |
| State origin | 1.477 | -13,5 | 2.580 | -21,5 | 1,75 | 1,92 | - | - |
| Foreign origin | 1.676 | -6,5 | 3.339 | -34,0 | 1,99 | 2,82 | - | - |
| | | | | | | | | |
| Gipuzkoa | 3.473 | 95,6 | 5.635 | 72,4 | 1,62 | 1,84 | 14,2 | 5,3 |
| State origin | 2.429 | 157,2 | 3.975 | 119,7 | 1,64 | 1,92 | - | - |
| Foreign origin | 1.045 | 25,6 | 1.660 | 13,7 | 1,59 | 1,76 | - | - |
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 Februay 21, 2025
Source: Eustat Tourist accommodating establishments survey
The average length of stay was 1.72 days, as opposed to the 2.18 days observed in January 2024, and the occupancy rate was 14.9%, 0.3 points higher than that registered in the same month of the previous year.
Note:
The response rate of the Survey on Tourist Establishments in January 2025 was 97.6% for Rural Accommodation, 85.4% for Tourist Apartments and 91.3% 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