Press Release 20/06/2025
SURVEY ON TOURIST ESTABLISHMENTS. Except hotels. May 2025
Stays in rural accommodation increased by 8.2%, in tourist apartments by 12.8%, and in tourist hostels by 5.0% in the Basque Country in May 2025
The cumulative balance to May 2025 showed positive values in both visitor numbers and overnight stays at the three types of establishments
In May 2025, visitor numbers in rural accommodation in the Basque Country rose by 4.7% compared to the same month in the previous year and overnight stays increased by 8.2%. With these year-on-year variations, in May the number of visitors reached 20,022 and the number of overnight stays stood at 43,191.
Visitors, overnight stays, average length of stay and bed occupancy rates in rural tourism establishments in the Basque Country. May 2025
| | Visitors | Overnight stays | Average stay | Occupancy rates (%) |
| | | by seats | by rooms |
| | 05/2025 | m/m-12 (%) | 05/2025 | m/m-12 (%) | 05/2025 | 05/2024 | 05/2025 | p.p. * | 05/2025 | p.p. * |
| BASQUE COUNTRY | 20.022 | 4,7 | 43.191 | 8,2 | 2,16 | 2,09 | 32,2 | 3,0 | 38,0 | 3,6 |
| State origin | 12.419 | -3,5 | 28.359 | 9,1 | 2,28 | 2,02 | - | - | - | - |
| Foreign origin | 7.603 | 21,8 | 14.832 | 6,6 | 1,95 | 2,23 | - | - | - | - |
| | | | | | | | | | | |
| Araba/Álava | 3.706 | 5,0 | 8.588 | 37,9 | 2,32 | 1,77 | 26,7 | 8,4 | 30,9 | 7,8 |
| State origin | 2.969 | -2,6 | 6.861 | 27,8 | 2,31 | 1,76 | - | - | - | - |
| Foreign origin | 737 | 53,5 | 1.727 | 101,0 | 2,34 | 1,79 | - | - | - | - |
| | | | | | | | | | | |
| Bizkaia | 5.992 | 13,1 | 11.286 | -0,2 | 1,88 | 2,14 | 28,9 | -0,5 | 35,2 | 1,0 |
| State origin | 2.893 | -15,9 | 6.478 | -12,5 | 2,24 | 2,15 | - | - | - | - |
| Foreign origin | 3.099 | 67,1 | 4.808 | 23,0 | 1,55 | 2,11 | - | - | - | - |
| | | | | | | | | | | |
| Gipuzkoa | 10.324 | 0,3 | 23.317 | 4,2 | 2,26 | 2,17 | 37,0 | 2,2 | 43,5 | 2,9 |
| State origin | 6.557 | 2,7 | 15.020 | 13,6 | 2,29 | 2,07 | - | - | - | - |
| Foreign origin | 3.767 | -3,6 | 8.297 | -9,3 | 2,20 | 2,34 | - | - | - | - |
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 June 20, 2025
Source: Eustat Tourist accommodating establishments survey
After rising by 21.8% in relation to May of the previous year, visitors from abroad accounted for 38.0% of the total number of visitors in rural accommodation in the Basque Country. Meanwhile, overnight stays by visitors from abroad represented 34.3% of the total, with an increase of 6.6% compared to May 2024.
By province, the year-on-year increases in visitor numbers in May 2025 reached 0.3% in Gipuzkoa, 5.0% in Álava and 13.1% in Bizkaia. Regarding overnight stays, these increased by 37.9% in Álava and by 4.2% in Gipuzkoa, while in Bizkaia they decreased by 0.2%.
The average length of stay in this type of establishment in the Basque Country was 2.16 days during May, a figure slightly higher than the average length of stay of 2.09 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 3.0 and 3.6 percentage points respectively, the bed occupancy rate standing at 32.2% and that of rooms at 38.0%.
As regards tourist apartments, in May 2025 there were a total of 26,049 visitors, resulting in 71,692 overnight stays. Compared to May of the previous year, there was a 30.9% increase in the case of visitor numbers and 12.8% 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. May 2025
| | Visitors | Overnight stays | Average stay | Occupancy rates (%) |
| | | by seats | by apartaments |
| | 05/2025 | m/m-12 (%) | 05/2025 | m/m-12 (%) | 05/2025 | 05/2024 | 05/2025 | p.p. * | 05/2025 | p.p. * |
| BASQUE COUNTRY | 26.049 | 30,9 | 71.692 | 12,8 | 2,75 | 3,19 | 40,4 | -1,8 | 75,6 | 4,5 |
| State origin | 13.456 | 23,1 | 37.984 | 6,0 | 2,82 | 3,28 | - | - | - | - |
| Foreign origin | 12.592 | 40,3 | 33.709 | 21,4 | 2,68 | 3,09 | - | - | - | - |
| | | | | | | | | | | |
| Araba/Álava | 864 | -26,0 | 9.751 | 2,4 | 11,28 | 8,16 | 28,4 | -1,6 | 69,7 | -8,2 |
| State origin | 660 | -34,0 | 6.885 | 12,9 | 10,44 | 6,10 | - | - | - | - |
| Foreign origin | 205 | 21,6 | 2.866 | -16,4 | 14,01 | 20,36 | - | - | - | - |
| | | | | | | | | | | |
| Bizkaia | 17.845 | 37,9 | 33.959 | 25,2 | 1,90 | 2,10 | 40,6 | 0,2 | 72,3 | 16,3 |
| State origin | 9.210 | 28,4 | 16.405 | 15,9 | 1,78 | 1,97 | - | - | - | - |
| Foreign origin | 8.635 | 49,6 | 17.554 | 35,3 | 2,03 | 2,25 | - | - | - | - |
| | | | | | | | | | | |
| Gipuzkoa | 7.339 | 26,7 | 27.982 | 3,9 | 3,81 | 4,65 | 46,8 | -4,9 | 81,9 | -1,5 |
| State origin | 3.587 | 30,0 | 14.693 | -5,6 | 4,10 | 5,64 | - | - | - | - |
| Foreign origin | 3.753 | 23,7 | 13.289 | 16,9 | 3,54 | 3,75 | - | - | - | - |
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 June 20, 2025
Source: Eustat Tourist accommodating establishments survey
Visitors from abroad accounted for 48.3% of the total number of visitors and 47.0% of the total number of overnight stays in tourist apartments in the Basque Country, after registering year-on-year increases of 40.3% and 21.4%, respectively, during May 2025.
The average length of stay in tourist apartments was 2.75 days in May 2025, below that obtained in May 2024, which stood at 3.19 days for the Basque Country as a whole. The average length of stay in this type of establishment was 11.28 days in Álava, 3.81 days in Gipuzkoa and 1.90 days in Bizkaia.
The bed occupancy rate reached 40.4% after a loss of 1.8 percentage points compared to May 2024 in the Basque Country. In turn, the apartment occupancy rate showed an increase of 4.5 percentage points, standing at 75.6%.
In respect of tourist hostels in the Basque Country, in May 2025 there was a year-on-year increase of 7.4% in visitor numbers, reaching a total of 30,973 visitors who generated a total of 51,378 overnight stays. 29,465 overnight stays were registered in Bizkaia, 21,247 in Gipuzkoa and lastly, in Álava, the number of overnight stays was 667.
Visitors, overnight stays, average length of stay and bed occupancy rates in tourist hostels of the Basque Country. May 2025
| | Visitors | Overnight stays | Average stay | Degree of occupation by places (%) |
| | 05/2025 | m/m-12 (%) | 05/2025 | m/m-12 (%) | 05/2025 | 05/2024 | 05/2025 | p.p. |
| BASQUE COUNTRY | 30.973 | 7,4 | 51.378 | 5,0 | 1,66 | 1,70 | 47,4 | 0,7 |
| State origin | 12.462 | 13,6 | 22.291 | 23,3 | 1,79 | 1,65 | - | - |
| Foreign origin | 18.511 | 3,6 | 29.088 | -5,7 | 1,57 | 1,73 | - | - |
| | | | | | | | | |
| Araba/Álava | 312 | -60,2 | 667 | -47,1 | 2,14 | 1,60 | 14,8 | -18,2 |
| State origin | 288 | -54,4 | 594 | -27,2 | 2,06 | 1,29 | - | - |
| Foreign origin | 24 | -84,5 | 73 | -83,6 | 3,07 | 2,90 | - | - |
| | | | | | | | | |
| Bizkaia | 16.744 | 3,9 | 29.465 | 3,3 | 1,76 | 1,77 | 53,4 | 1,2 |
| State origin | 6.740 | 7,5 | 13.441 | 21,5 | 1,99 | 1,76 | - | - |
| Foreign origin | 10.004 | 1,5 | 16.024 | -8,2 | 1,60 | 1,77 | - | - |
| | | | | | | | | |
| Gipuzkoa | 13.917 | 16,5 | 21.247 | 10,9 | 1,53 | 1,60 | 43,5 | 2,3 |
| State origin | 5.434 | 33,4 | 8.256 | 33,2 | 1,52 | 1,52 | - | - |
| Foreign origin | 8.484 | 7,8 | 12.991 | 0,3 | 1,53 | 1,65 | - | - |
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 June 20, 2025
Source: Eustat Tourist accommodating establishments survey
The average length of stay in this type of accommodation was 1.66 days in the Basque Country as a whole and the bed occupancy rate reached 47.4%, after a year-on-year increase of 0.7 percentage points.
Cumulative data (January - May 2025)
Cumulative visitor numbers for 2025 to date at rural accommodation in the Basque Country stand at 55,243 visitors, resulting in 120,864 overnight stays; 3.8% and 2.9% higher than the figures for the same period in 2024. The average stay was 2.19 days, compared to 2.21 the previous year. As regards the bed occupancy rate, it stood at 21.2% compared to 20.0% in the comparative period of 2024. The room occupancy rate was also over 23.9% in 2024, standing at 25.5% in the first five months of 2025.
In relation to tourist apartments, the cumulative total for Mayo was 93,251 visitors, resulting in 288,404 overnight stays. This represents an increase of 33.3% in visitors and 15.8% in overnight stays compared to the first five months of 2024. The average stay was 3.09 days in the first five months of 2025, compared to 3.56 in the same period in 2024. The occupancy rate reached 35.0% for beds and 64.7% for rooms, 0.7 and 2.8 percentage points higher than the same period of 2024.
As regards tourist hotels, in 2025 to date they have registered a cumulative total of 89,674 visitors with 154,976 overnight stays, 6.3% and 2.2% above the figures for the same period in 2024. The average stay was 1.73 days, down from 1.80 days the previous year. The bed occupancy rate was 32.7%, up 0.5 percentage points on the 32.2% recorded in the first five months of 2024.
Note:
The response rate for the Survey on Tourist Establishments this month was 92.4% for Rural Accommodation, 84.7% for Tourist Apartments and 88.8% 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