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Australian Bureau of Statistics |  |
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Survey Participant Information - Survey of Tourist Accommodation |
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS - SURVEY PARTICIPANTS SURVEY WORKSHEET Below is an electronic worksheet that has been designed to assist you in collecting the required statistics for your next quarterly survey. Instructions on how to use the worksheet are included in the document. To download a copy of the worksheet, click on the link below and save it to a suitable location on your computer. Once completed, please do not return this worksheet to the ABS as it is for your records only. The results are also used by accommodation establishments to monitor the performance of their business. RELEVANCE AND SELECTION What is the purpose of the survey and who uses the data? The Survey of Tourist Accommodation (STA) is the principle source of tourist accommodation statistics in Australia. The results of this survey are published quarterly in Tourist Accommodation, Australia (Cat. No. 8635.0) and are used by a wide variety of organisations in both government and private industry to analyse trends in the availability and use of accommodation facilities. Major users of the data include:
A small number of ABS business surveys are conducted as censuses. This means that all businesses within a particular industry will be selected to participate. The STA is run as a quarterly census that requires all in scope establishments to be included in the survey. Establishments in scope of the STA are:
Our establishment does not usually accommodate tourists. Do we still have to complete the survey? Yes. The term ‘tourist’ applies to persons who travel outside of their usual environment for many purposes, including holidays, business and study. Our establishment has a number of rooms/units that are rented out on a long-term basis, how does this affect our selection in the survey? PARTICIPATION Is the survey compulsory? The ABS relies on the cooperation of accommodation establishments in Australia to provide accurate information as requested. However, the Census and Statistics Act 1905 provides the Australian Statistician with the power, if necessary, to direct you in writing to answer the questions. Why don’t you pay people to fill in the survey? The ABS appreciates that considerable time and effort is required on the part of respondents to complete the form. As there is no provision under the Census and Statistics Act 1905 to pay respondents for their time, we rely on their cooperation. Is confidentiality of my data guaranteed? The ABS has a legislative responsibility to ensure that it provides a quality statistical service whilst also protecting the privacy rights of those individuals or businesses who provide information. Your completed form remains confidential to the ABS and statistics will only be published in the form of aggregated data. The Australian Statistician and his staff are bound by the Census and Statistics Act 1905 to observe the strictest confidence in regard to the information supplied by respondents. How accurate do my figures need to be? The ABS requires information that is as accurate as possible. The more accurate the figures you supply, the more accurate the total estimate will be. However, if exact data is not readily available careful estimates will be accepted. SUBMITTING DATA What is the preferred option for completing the survey? From the September quarter 2011 all businesses selected in the STA have the option of submitting data online, via a web form. The ABS strongly recommends the use of this new web-based form as it provides a simple and environmentally friendly way for you to submit your data. How do I access the web form? To access your web form, enter the following address into your web browser - http://abs.gov.au/form. To login, use the ‘User Identifier’ and ‘Password' details that are included in your quarterly letter from the ABS. If you have misplaced your letter and login details, please call 1800 304 488 (free call excluding mobile phones) to request a new password. Is there anything different about the web form? There are minimal differences between the two forms. The questions on the web form correspond directly to the questions in the equivalent paper form. The questions appear on a single web page and you will need to scroll down the page in order to see all of the questions. Please be aware that for security reasons, if there is inactivity on your computer for 100 minutes the web form will time out. Can I save the web form as a draft? Yes, there is functionality to save the web form when partially completed so you can return to it later. To do this simply click the Save and Exit button at the bottom of the form. This will save your form and exit you from the system. You will receive a confirmation message and a receipt number for the draft form. You can then log back in to complete the survey at any time. How do I submit the web form? To submit your completed form to the ABS, click the Submit button at the bottom of the form. You will receive a message confirming that you want to submit the form. Remember that once you submit the form, you will no longer be able to view or update it. Can I keep a copy? Yes, the ABS highly recommends that you keep a copy of your completed form for your own personal records.
Do I still have the option of using a paper form? Yes, if you are experiencing technical problems or have concerns about using and submitting the web form, you can still continue to use the paper-based form. Once received, the paper form should be completed and returned in the reply paid envelope supplied by the ABS. You can request a paper form by calling 1800 304 488. Can I get an extension or request assistance to complete the form? If you need help completing the form, or feel that you may have difficulties in meeting the due date, please call 1800 304 488 and advise our staff of the situation. SURVEY QUESTIONS Why do you need to collect my turnover? Turnover is as important as any of the other data items requested. Your turnover information contributes to providing a picture of the size of the tourist accommodation industry in financial terms. Your individual data is never released in anything other than an aggregate form. As a working proprietor, am I and/or my spouse considered ‘staff’? Yes, any working proprietor and partners are considered ‘persons working for this establishment’ for the purposes of question 1. Do I include the staff in my restaurant, conference facility and/or function centre? Yes, for the purpose of question 1, all those people working for the establishment are counted. What is meant by ‘room/unit nights’? If a room/unit is occupied on any given night, then that is a room/unit night. For example; if a motel has 20 rooms and 10 of them are occupied every night for a 30 day month, then that would equate to 300 room nights for that month. What is meant by ‘guest nights’? If a guest stays in an establishment on any given night, then that is a guest night. For example; if a motel has 20 rooms and 10 of them are occupied every night for a 30 day month, with 2 people staying in each room every one of those nights, then that would equate to 600 guest nights for that month. How do 'guest arrivals' differ from 'guest nights'? When a guest first books in for a stay at an establishment, that is called a guest arrival. Guest arrivals may also be known as 'check ins'. If the same individual returns for a second stay at the accommodation establishment during the same survey period, the first night of the second stay is regarded as a separate guest arrival. We have many different types of beds at our establishment, how do I count these? Any style of bed that is normally used as a permanent bed should be included in your figures. If a bed is designed to sleep one person it will count toward single beds. If a bed is designed to sleep two people it will count toward double beds. OTHER INFORMATION There have been significant changes at our establishment since the last quarterly survey, how do I inform the ABS of these changes? Please update the relevant fields on your web form if there has been any significant change/s to the following details:
I have already sent you the information requested. If you believe you have already given the information requested by the ABS through a survey or other means, please call our staff on 1800 304 488 and let us know. If you sent in a completed survey form by mail, you will need to provide your contact details and the date the form was sent. If you received a reminder notice about your form, you may have sent it in at the same time as your reminder notice was sent out. How can my establishment get access to the results of ABS surveys? As a participant in a survey, you can ask to receive an electronic copy of the main publication into which your data has contributed. You can also access the results of the STA and other ABS surveys on-line by going to www.abs.gov.au or contacting the National Information and Referral Service on 1300 135 070. THANK YOU The ABS is grateful for the cooperation of establishments in returning completed forms promptly to enable early processing and release of results from our surveys. We look forward to your continued support. |
