News

There were 184,010 visitors registered in the hotel establishments of the Basque Country in April 2010, 16,000 up on the same month of the previous year, in other words a 10% increase, according to Eustat data. The number of visitors increased by 39% in Alava and 13% in Gipuzkoa, but fell by 1% in Bizkaia, compared with the same month of 2008.

The number of visitors from within Spain rose by 3% compared to April 2009, and foreign visitors were up by 26%. There was a rise in the number of Spanish visitors to Alava and Gipuzkoa (32% and 4%, respectively), while they dropped in number in Bizkaia (-5%). The number of foreign visitors rose in the three provinces: it rose by 63% in Alava, 36% in Gipuzkoa and 11% in Bizkaia.

Registered overnight stays in April 2010 totaled 332,265, which was 7% up on the same month of the previous year, in other words, there were 23,000 more overnight stays. The year-on-year performance of overnight stays was positive in Alava and Gipuzkoa, up by 41% and 7%, respectively, but the number of overnight stays fell by 1% in Bizkaia, with respect to April 2009.

The average length of stay was down by 2%: it fell from 1.84 days in the previous April to 1.81 in April of this year, for the Basque Country as a whole. The rate rose by 1% in Alava, but fell by 1% in Bizkaia and by 5% in Gipuzkoa.

The degree of occupancy by beds barely fluctuated and remained at 41.62% occupancy obtained in April of the previous yare. There was a notable increase in Alava as it rose from 32.10% in April last year to 38.24% in April 2010. In Gipuzkoa, there was a 3% increase and it rose from 45.22% in April 2009 to 46.70% in the same month this year, while Bizkaia posted a lower degree of occupancy this April (38.90%) than the previous one (41.88%).

During the first four months of the year, there were a total of 590,597 visitors registered in the hotel establishments of the Basque Country, which was 11% up on the same period of 2009. The number of overnight stays during this first four-month period came to 1,051,544, 10% up on the figure for the first four months of the previous year. The average length of stay fell slightly from 1.81 days during this four-month period to 1.78 days for the same period of 2010. The degree of occupancy was up by 2% and dropped from 33.56% in the first four months of 2009 to 34.14% for the same period of this year.

Rural tourism: The number of visitors and overnight stays fell by -18% and -10% respectively.

There were 9,039 visitors registered in April in rural tourism establishments in the Basque Country, 18% down on the same month of the previous year. The number decreased by 25% in Bizkaia, 17% in Alava and by 15% in Gipuzkoa.

There was a 20% decrease in the number of visitors from the rest of Spain in the Basque Country: it fell by 18% in Alava, by 27% in Bizkaia and by 16% in Gipuzkoa. The number of overseas visitors increased by 1% throughout the Basque Country, with the number up in Gipuzkoa (8%) and Alava (1%) and down in Bizkaia (-7%).

There were 26,286 overnight stays in rural tourism establishments in the Basque Country in April, which was 10% down on the same month of the previous year, with year-on-year negative rates in the three provinces (10%).

The average length of stay per visitor increased with respect to April 2009, rising from 2.63 days a year ago to 2.91 days last April

The occupancy rate by beds fell from 26.08% to 22.47%, due to the decrease registered in the three provinces: it stood at 20.19% in Alava, it fell to 20.08% in Bizkaia and was 25.14% in Gipuzkoa.

During the first four months of 2010, there were a total of 29,208 visitors registered in the rural tourism establishments of the Basque Country, which was 3% down on the same period of 2009.

The number of overnight stays in the period from January-April 2010 was 74,739, down 4% on the same period of the previous year.

Figures referring to Easter 2010

During the period between the Monday before Easter and the Friday after the Easter weekend (from the 29 March to 9 April 2010), there was a 5% increase in the number of visitors and overnight stays were up 12% compared to the equivalent period of the previous year (from 6 to 17 April 2009) in the hotel establishments of the Basque Country.

The average stay at Easter increased and rose from 1.88 days in the previous year to 2.00 in 2010. The occupancy rate by beds rose from 43.38% in 2009 to 46.10% in 2010.

With regard to rural tourism establishments, there was a 19% drop in the number of visitors while the overnight stays fell by 6%, which meant that the average stay rose from 2.92 days in 2009 to 3.39 days in 2010.

In the main days of the Easter celebrations (Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Saturday), the occupancy rate was 77.8% in hotel establishments, eight point up on those registered the previous year (69.87%) and reached 78.92% in the rural tourism establishments compared to 81.8% in 2009.