Visitors number to Basque Country same as last year

There were 159,094 visitors registered in the hotel establishments of the A.C. of the Basque Country in April 2008; more than 25,500 fewer visitors than in the same month of last year resulting in a 14 percent decrease, according to Eustat data. The number of visitors fell by 15 percent in Alava, 14 percent in Bizkaia and 13 percent in Gipuzkoa, compared with the same month of 2007.

With respect to April of 2007, the number of visitors from within the state fell by 18 percent and the number of overseas visitor fell by 4 percent. In the three provinces, visitors from within the state decreased by 22 percent in Gipuzkoa, by 15 percent in Bizkaia and by 14 percent in Álava. Overseas visitors increased by 12 percent in Gipuzkoa but decreased in Álava (-19 percent) and Bizkaia (-12 percent).

Registered overnight stays in April 2008 rose to 285,405 representing a 19 percent decline from April of 2007 or 67,000 fewer overnight stays. The inter-annual evolution of overnight stays was negative in the three provinces; it went down in Alava by 20 percent and in both Gipuzkoa and Bizkaia numbers fell by 19 percent.

Throughout the A.C of the Basque Country the average length of stay went down 6 percent: from 1.91 days in April of the previous year to 1.79 days this past April. In Alava it dropped by 6 percent, in Bizkaia by 5 percent and in Gipuzkoa by 7 percent.

The degree of occupancy by place went down from 49.64 percent in April of last year to 41.38 percent this April. The decline affected all three provinces. This past April Álava was below the average with a decline of 18 percent (35.87 percent) while Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa registered a similar degree of occupancy rate of 42.39 percent and 42.25 percent respectively.

It is important to note the affect of Holy Week on this analysis. In 2007 Holy Week was in April while this year it fell in March. To ensure homogenous results, data from the first four months of the year are used to compare this year with the same period of last year.

There were 581,662 visitors to hotel establishments in the A.C of the Basque Country during the first four months of the year, which is not a significant variation from the same period of 2007. Overnight stays during this first quarter rose to 1,061,911; which is practically the same as the previous year. The average length of stay as well as the degree of occupancy remained practically the same as in 2007: average length of stay was 1.83 days and the degree of occupancy was at 40 percent.

Agro tourism: The number of visitors fell by 24 percent and overnight stays by 48 percent

There were 8,171 visitors registered this past April in agro tourism establishments of the A.C of the Basque Country; 24 percent fewer than the same month of last year, declining by 28 percent in Bizkaia, 27 percent in Gipuzkoa and by 9 percent in Alava. There was a 26 percent decline in visitors from within the state to A.C of the Basque Country: falling by 12 percent in Gipuzkoa, by 29 percent in Bizkaia and by 28 percent in Álava. The number of overseas visitors dropped by 3 percent throughout the A.C of the Basque Country; declining in Gipuzkoa (-8 percent) and Bizkaia (-13 percent) and increasing in Álava (33 percent).

There were 17,765 overnight stays in agrotourism establishments in the A.C of the Basque Country in April meaning a 48% decline when compared with the same month of the previous year. There were negative inter-annual rates in Bizkaia (-51 percent), Gipuzkoa (-49 percent) and Álava (-37 percent)
The average length of stay per visitor dropped with respect to April 2007, going from 3.15 days a year ago to 2.17 days this past April.

The grade of occupancy by place fell from 48.06 percent to 18.06 percent as a result of the decline of visitors in the three provinces: Alava was at 19.67 percent, Bizkaia fell to 18.25 percent and Gipuzkoa was recorded at 20.68 percent.

There were 28,753 visitors to agrotourism establishments in the A.C of the Basque Country during the first 4 months of 2008, meaning a 1 percent decline with respect to data from the first quarter of 2007.

There were 72,546 overnight stay in the period from January to April of 2008 resulting in a 6 percent decline from the same period of the last year.