Visitor entries to Basque hotels increased by 4.6% in May compared to the same month last year. This growth was predominantly driven by the arrival of foreign tourists, who saw a 7.1% rise, while domestic visitors experienced a more modest increase of 1.4%.
Overnight stays also recorded a growth of 4.4%. This increase was also concentrated among foreign visitors, up by 8.5%, whereas stays by residents within Spain decreased by 0.8%. In total, 398,351 entries and 773,816 overnight stays were registered in Basque hotels, according to data released by the Basque Institute of Statistics (Eustat).
Araba province led the increase in traveler entries. While all three territories saw a rise, Araba experienced the most significant growth, with 50,722 entries, an 8.5% increase, and 102,845 overnight stays (+2.8%).
In Bizkaia, entries grew by 3.2% (187,408) and overnight stays by 1.9% (345,398). Gipuzkoa saw its entries increase by 4.9% (160,221) and overnight stays by 7.7% (325,573).
Regarding the provincial capitals, the volume of entries rose by 7.9% in Gasteiz, 1.3% in Donostia, and 0.6% in Bilbao. Overnight stays saw a notable increase in Donostia (+7.1%), with Araba's capital growing by 0.6% and Bizkaia's by 0.4%.
The average length of stay in May was 1.94 days across the autonomous community, similar to the figure from May 2025. The hotel occupancy rate stood at 64.1% for available places and 78.1% for rooms.
The average daily room rate in Basque hotels was 143 euros, a 10.4% increase compared to May 2025. Gipuzkoa recorded the highest average price at 153.2 euros, followed by Bizkaia at 141.6 euros, and Araba at 107.8 euros. Among the capitals, Donostia had the highest average price (197.7 euros), followed by Bilbao (163.8 euros) and Gasteiz (93.4 euros).
