INTRODUCTION
1 This publication presents data from the quarterly Survey of Tourist Accommodation (STA). The STA is a mailout collection that completely enumerates all in-scope accommodation establishments within Australia.
SCOPE
2 On a quarterly basis the STA includes licensed hotels with facilities, motels, guest houses and serviced apartments with 15 or more rooms or units.
3 Short-term non-residential accommodation, which is in scope of the STA, is accommodation which is not leased, and which is provided to guests who would generally stay for periods of less than two months.
4 Some establishments also provide long-term residential accommodation. For licensed hotels with facilities, motels, guest houses and serviced apartments, the amount of such activity is considered to be insignificant and is included in the data presented in this publication.
DEFINITIONS OF ACCOMMODATION ESTABLISHMENTS
5 For 2004 the STA includes the following categories of establishments which provide predominantly short-term non-residential accommodation to the general public:
- licensed hotels and resorts with facilities - establishments with 15 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
- motels, private hotels and guest houses with facilities - establishments with 15 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
- serviced apartments - establishments with 15 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.
COVERAGE
6 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 commissions and industry associations is also undertaken.
STAR GRADING
7 Star grade classifications of establishments were revised by AAA Tourism Pty Ltd. These changes were implemented for the STA in the March quarter 2004 and should be taken into account when making comparisons with previous quarters.
DATA QUALITY
8 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
- estimation for missing data
- definition and classification errors
- incomplete coverage.
9 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.
10 The September quarter 2004 response rates were:
- 94% licensed hotels with facilities
- 93% motels and guest houses
- 94% serviced apartments.
BREAK IN TIME SERIES
11 In the June quarter 2003 the ABS identified 132 licensed hotels with facilities, motels and guest houses and serviced apartments which had been operating for a number of quarters but were not on the STA frame. These additional establishments were included in the STA from the June quarter 2003.
12 The addition of the 132 tourism establishments resulted in a break in time series between the March and June quarters 2003. The impact of the break in time series is explained in Appendix 1, Tourist Accommodation, Australia (cat. no. 8635.0), December quarter 2003. Particular care needs to be taken for all calculations of percentage changes that cross the break in series.
TAKINGS FROM ACCOMMODATION
13 From 1 July 2000, takings from accommodation include gross revenue from the provision of accommodation, including GST. Takings from meals are excluded. Where businesses are unable to provide the data inclusive of GST, it is automatically adjusted by the ABS prior to aggregation and release in output.
STATISTICAL GEOGRAPHY
14 Small area statistics for 2004 are classified to the Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC), 2003 Edition (cat. no. 1216.0). Data are coded to the statistical local area (SLA) level.
15 These SLA data are aggregated to tourism regions as defined by relevant state and territory tourist commissions. 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. This publication no longer presents comparative tourism region data for the same quarter of the previous year.
16 Details of SLAs, the composition of tourism regions, major changes to tourism regions and outline maps of tourism regions are provided on the Tourism Theme Page of the ABS web site.
SEASONAL ADJUSTMENT
17 Seasonal adjustment is a means of removing the estimated effects of normal seasonal variation from the original time series so that the effect of other influences on the series may be more clearly recognised. Seasonal adjustment procedures do not aim to remove the irregular or non-seasonal influences which may be present in any particular month. Irregular influences that are highly volatile can make it difficult to interpret the movement of the series even after adjustment for seasonal variation, and cannot be assumed to indicate changes in the trend.
18 The way in which seasonally adjusted and trend estimates were calculated changed from a Forward Factor methodology to a Concurrent methodology in March quarter 2003. The Forward Factor method relied on an annual analysis of the original time series to estimate seasonal factors that were to be applied in the forthcoming four quarters. Under this method the projected seasonal factors, or forward factors, were not updated until the next annual analysis. The Concurrent methodology uses the most up to date original time series available at each reference period to estimate seasonal factors thus eliminating the need to use projected seasonal factors.
TREND ESTIMATES
19 Smoothing the seasonally adjusted series reduces the impact of the irregular component of the seasonally adjusted series and creates the trend estimates. The trend estimates are derived by applying a 7-term Henderson moving average to the quarterly seasonally adjusted series. The Henderson moving average used in the middle of the time series is symmetric but, as the end of a time series is approached, asymmetric forms of the symmetric moving average are applied. Unlike the weights of the standard 7-term Henderson moving average, the weights used with the quarterly data have been tailored to suit the particular characteristics of individual series.
20 While these techniques enable trend estimates for the latest period to be produced, the process does result in revisions to the trend estimates in recent months, particularly as additional original estimates become available. For further information refer to Information Paper: A Guide to Interpreting Time Series - Monitoring Trends, 2003 (cat. no. 1349.0).
EFFECTS OF ROUNDING
21 Where figures have been rounded, discrepancies may occur between totals and the sum of the component items.
RELATED PUBLICATIONS
22 Other ABS publications and products which may be of interest are outlined below. Please note, older publications may no longer be available through ABS bookshops but are available through ABS libraries. All publications released from 1998 onwards are available on this site.
Tourist Accommodation, Small Area Data cat. no. 8635.1.55.001-8635.8.55.001 (data cubes for each state/territory - issued quarterly)
Tourist Accommodation, Australia, Expanded Scope Collection cat. no. 8635.0.55.001 (irregular)
Short-term Visitor Arrivals Estimates, Australia cat. no. 3401.0.55.001 (issued monthly)
Overseas Arrivals and Departures, Australia cat. no. 3401.0 (issued monthly)
Australian National Accounts, Tourism Satellite Account cat. no. 5249.0 (annual)
Directory of Tourism Statistics, 2001 cat. no. 1130.0 (irregular)
23 Current publications and other products released by the ABS are listed in the Catalogue of Publications and Products (cat. no. 1101.0) (charges apply). The ABS also issues a daily Release Advice on the web site which details products to be released in the week ahead.
ABS DATA AVAILABLE ON REQUEST
24 As well as the statistics included in this publication, the ABS has other relevant data available on request. Inquiries should be made to the National Information and Referral Service on 1300 135 070.
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