1368.1 - New South Wales Regional Statistics, 2006  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 30/11/2006  First Issue
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AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS, SURVEY OF TOURIST ACCOMMODATION

INTRODUCTION

1 The Survey of Tourist Accommodation (STA) is a quarterly mailout collection that completely enumerates all in-scope accommodation establishments.

2 The authority to conduct this survey is provided by the Census and Statistics Act 1905.

3 The STA collects information on different types of tourist accommodation.

4 In this product, data are presented for establishments, persons employed, takings and bed spaces.

SCOPE

5 From March quarter 2005, the scope of the STA comprises the following categories of establishments:

  • licensed hotels and resorts with facilities and 5 or more rooms
  • motels, private hotels and guest houses with facilities and 5 or more rooms
  • serviced apartments with 5 or more units
  • caravan parks with 40 or more powered sites
  • holiday flats, units and houses of letting entities with 15 or more rooms or units
  • visitor hostels with 25 or more bed spaces.

6 With the exception of caravan parks, these establishments provide predominantly short-term non-residential accommodation, i.e. accommodation which is not leased, and which is provided to guests who would generally stay for periods of less than two months. Some of these establishments also provide long-term residential accommodation. The amount of such activity is considered to be insignificant and is included in the data presented.

7 Caravan parks provide either short-term or long-term accommodation. If a caravan park has the majority of sites occupied by paying guests who have stayed continuously for two months or more during the survey period, the caravan park is classified as long-term. The data for caravan parks in this product represents both short-term and long-term accommodation.

8 Previous to March quarter 2005, the scope of the STA comprised:
  • licensed hotels and resorts with facilities and 15 or more rooms
  • motels, private hotels and guest houses with facilities and 15 or more rooms
  • serviced apartments with 15 or more units.

9 For the four quarters of 2000 and 2003, the scope of the STA was expanded to include:
  • caravan parks with 40 or more powered sites
  • holiday flats, units and houses of letting entities with 15 or more rooms or units
  • visitor hostels with 25 or more bed spaces.

REFERENCE PERIOD

10 The data in this product are for the June quarter 2006.

KEY DATA ITEMS

11 The following key data items were used in this product:

12 Bed spaces: The maximum number of bed spaces normally in place available to accommodate paying guests during the survey period. Three-quarter beds are counted as one bed space; double beds as two bed spaces. Cots and divans not normally used as beds are excluded.

13 Cabins, flats, units and villas: The maximum number of cabins, flats, units and villas available at caravan parks for accommodating paying guests during the survey period.

14 Capacity: Capacity in terms of rooms/units/apartments/suites, visitor hostel bed spaces, holiday flats/units/houses or caravan park sites is the maximum number available to accommodate paying guests on the last day of the survey period. Capacity closed temporarily for seasonal reasons is included.

15 Caravan parks: Establishments with 40 or more powered sites and cabins, flats, units and villas which provide either short-term or long-term accommodation to the general public and which provide powered sites for caravans and toilet, shower and laundry facilities for guests.

16 Establishments: The number of licensed hotels and resorts, motels and guest houses, serviced apartments, caravan parks and visitor hostels within the scope of the survey which operated for any part of the survey period, or which closed temporarily for the quarter for seasonal reasons.

17 Holiday flats, units and houses: The total number of holiday flats, units and houses (excluding establishments predominantly operated on a time-share basis) operated by letting entities (i.e. owners, managers or real estate agents) who have sole letting rights to at least 15 flats, units or houses for short-term letting. These flats, units or houses should be mainly self-contained in terms of cooking, bath (or shower) and toilet facilities and should not have breakfast available for guests. Data for holiday flats, units or houses include short-term owner operators as well as paying guest accommodation.

18 Licensed hotels and resorts with facilities: Establishments with five or more rooms which are licensed to operate a public bar and which provide accommodation on a room/suite basis, with a bath/shower and toilet in most guest rooms, but which do not have full cooking facilities (i.e. hot plates and oven/microwave) in most guest rooms.

19 Motels, private hotels and guest houses with facilities: Establishments with five or more rooms which are not licensed to operate a public bar, and which provide accommodation on a room/suite basis, with a bath/shower and toilet in most guest rooms, but which do not have full cooking facilities (i.e. hot plates and oven/microwave) in most guest rooms.

20 On-site vans: The maximum number of vans owned or leased by the establishment for the purpose of providing accommodation to the general public.

21 Other powered sites: The maximum number of sites with provision for connection to electric power supply, available at caravan parks for accommodating paying guests during the survey period, excluding powered sites occupied by on-site vans, and cabins, flats, units and villas.

22 Persons employed: The total number of persons working at each accommodation establishment at the end of the survey period (including working proprietors and those working on other than accommodation activities). This data item is not applicable to holiday flats, units and houses let by real estate agents.

23 Serviced apartments: Establishments with five or more units which mostly comprise self-contained units at the same location, and which are available on a unit/apartment basis to the general public for a minimum of one night. The units should have full cooking facilities (i.e. hot plates and oven/microwave), refrigerator and bath/shower and toilet facilities; all bed linen and towels should be provided, and daily servicing (i.e. cleaning and bed making) must be available through the on-site management, although this service may not necessarily be used.

24 Takings from accommodation: Since 1 July 2000, takings from accommodation include gross revenue from the provision of accommodation, including Goods and Services Tax (GST). Takings from meals are excluded. In cases where takings from accommodation data cannot be provided inclusive of GST the amount of GST payable is estimated and the data revised accordingly. Takings from accommodation for each month generally represent the takings received during that month. Where payments are received in advance of, or after the provision of accommodation to guests, the monthly figure for takings from accommodation may not necessarily bear a direct relationship to the number of guests accommodated during the month.

25 Unpowered sites: The maximum number of sites with no provision for connection to electric power supply, available at caravan parks for accommodating paying guests during the survey period.

26 Visitor hostels: Establishments with 25 or more bed spaces which provide accommodation to visitors on a bed basis (rather than by room). This category does not include establishments providing charity type accommodation (e.g. Salvation Army hostels) nor hotels, motels and guest houses without in-room facilities which provide accommodation on a per room basis.

GEOGRAPHY

27 In this product data are presented for Local Government Areas classified to the Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC) (cat. no. 1216.0).

28 SLA data are aggregated to tourism regions as defined by relevant state and territory tourism organisations. Tourism regions are reviewed annually and are subject to boundary and name changes. Where changes have occurred care should be taken when making comparisons with previously published data at this level.

29 Details of SLAs, the composition of tourism regions and maps of tourism regions are provided in the ABS publication Tourism Region Maps and Concordance Files, Australia (cat. no. 9503.0.55.001).

COLLECTION METHODOLOGY

30 The STA is a mailout collection that completely enumerates all in-scope accommodation establishments.

31 The main source of coverage is from the Australian Automobile Association through AAA Tourism Pty Ltd. This is supplemented by notification of new tourism developments and their likely opening dates in selected guides, major tourism journals and periodicals and newspapers. Periodic comparison with lists of accommodation establishments provided by the various tourism organisations and industry associations is also undertaken.

ACCURACY

32 The survey does not have a sample component and the data are not subject to sampling variability. However, other inaccuracies collectively referred to as non-sampling error may affect the data. These non-sampling errors may arise from a number of sources, including:
  • errors in the reporting of data by providers
  • errors in the process of capturing data
  • imputation for missing data
  • definition and classification errors
  • incomplete coverage.

33 Every effort has been made to reduce non-sampling error to a minimum by careful design and testing of questionnaires, and efficient operating procedures and systems used to compile statistics.

34 The June quarter 2006 response rates were:
  • Licensed hotels with facilities:
    • with 5 to 14 rooms (85.8%)
    • with 15 rooms or more (90.9%)
  • Motels and guest houses:
    • with 5 to 14 rooms (90.3%)
    • with 15 rooms or more (91.5%)
  • Serviced apartments:
    • with 5 to 14 rooms (91.6%)
    • with 15 rooms or more (94.2%)
  • Caravan parks (92.2%)
  • Holiday flats, units and houses (94.1%)
  • Visitor hostels (90.5%).

35 Missing data items are replaced by imputed values based on reported data. Average quarterly movements are applied to previously reported data for each non-responding unit to estimate values for missing data items. If previously reported data are not available, then data from a similar unit is used as a 'donor' for the missing data items. Note that donor imputation was used for non-responding units for hotels, motels and serviced apartments with 5 to 14 rooms as previous data was usually unavailable.

PUBLISHED DATA

36 Other ABS products which may be of interest are outlined below. Please note, older products may no longer be available through ABS bookshops but are available through ABS libraries. All products released from 1998 onwards are available on the ABS web site <www.abs.gov.au>.
UNPUBLISHED DATA

37 Unpublished data are available via a consultancy from the ABS. For further information, please contact the National Information and Referral Service on 1300 135 070.