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EXPLANATORY NOTES


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 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.

4 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. Data for caravan parks are presented by short-term and long-term in this publication.

5 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.

• 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.

TAKINGS FROM ACCOMMODATION

8 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.

STAR GRADING

9 Star grade classifications of establishments are continuously revised by AAA Tourism Pty Ltd. This should be taken into account when making comparisons over time. Any queries regarding the star grading process should be directed to AAA Tourism Pty Ltd on (03) 8601 2200 or email enquiries@aaatourism.com.au.

10 Data by star grade for states and territories are no longer presented in this publication. These data are included in the data cubes that accompany this publication: Tourist Accommodation, Small Area Data (cat. no. 8635.0.55.002 for national data and cat. no. 8635.1.55.001 - 8635.8.55.001 for state/territory data).

STATISTICAL GEOGRAPHY

11 Small area statistics for 2006 are classified to the Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC), 2005 Edition (cat. no. 1216.0). Data are coded to the statistical local area (SLA) level.

12 These 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.

13 Data by tourism regions are no longer presented in this publication. Small area data are provided in the data cubes that accompany this publication: Tourist Accommodation, Small Area Data (cat. no. 8635.0.55.002 for national data and cat. no. 8635.1.55.001 - 8635.8.55.001 for state/territory data).

14 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) available from the ABS web site <www.abs.gov.au>.

DATA QUALITY

15 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.

Response rates

17 The March quarter 2006 response rates for Australia were:

RESPONSE RATES
		March Qtr 2006
Activity		%
Licensed hotels with facilities
	with 5 to 14 rooms	81.9
	with 15 or more rooms	86.9
	with 5 or more rooms	85.5
Motels and guest houses
	with 5 to 14 rooms	84.9
	with 15 or more rooms	86.5
	with 5 or more rooms	86.4
Serviced apartments
	with 5 to 14 rooms	88.1
	with 15 or more rooms	89.0
	with 5 or more rooms	88.8
Hotels, motels and serviced apartments
	with 5 to 14 rooms	84.7
	with 15 or more rooms	87.1
	with 5 or more rooms	86.6
Caravan parks		86.6
Holiday flats, units and houses		89.7
Visitor hostels		84.0

19 The March quarter 2006 imputation rates for Australia were:

IMPUTATION RATES
		Nights occupied(a)	Takings from accommodation
Activity		%	%
Licensed hotels with facilities
	with 5 to 14 rooms	15.4	14.4
	with 15 or more rooms	3.4	2.5
	with 5 or more rooms	3.8	2.7
Motels and guest houses
	with 5 to 14 rooms	12.4	14.7
	with 15 or more rooms	10.3	9.6
	with 5 or more rooms	10.6	10.1
Serviced apartments
	with 5 to 14 rooms	11.4	12.2
	with 15 or more rooms	7.0	6.6
	with 5 or more rooms	7.2	6.8
Hotels, motels and serviced apartments
	with 5 to 14 rooms	12.8	14.0
	with 15 or more rooms	6.7	5.4
	with 5 or more rooms	7.1	5.8
Caravan parks		10.9	9.5
Holiday flats, units and houses		7.8	7.8
Visitor hostels		16.3	11.6
(a) Based on room nights for hotels, motels and serviced apartments; site nights for caravan parks; unit nights for holiday flats, units and houses; and guest nights for visitor hostels.

BREAK IN TIME SERIES

20 In June quarter 2003, the ABS identified 132 licensed hotels with facilities, motels and guest houses and serviced apartments with 15 or more rooms 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 June quarter 2003.

21 The ABS also identified 74 caravan parks which were operating in the March quarter 2003 but were not on the STA frame. These caravan parks were included in the June, September and December quarter 2003 data, but not in the March quarter 2003 data.

22 The addition of these establishments resulted in a break in time series between March and June quarters 2003. The impact of the break in time series for hotels, motels and serviced apartments is explained in Appendix 1, Tourist Accommodation, Australia, December quarter 2003 (cat. no. 8635.0). The impact of the break in series for caravan parks is explained in the Appendix of Tourist Accommodation, Australia, Expanded Scope Collection, Year ended 31 December quarter 2003 (cat. no. 8635.0.55.001). Particular care needs to be taken for all calculations of percentage changes that cross the break in series.

SEASONAL ADJUSTMENT

23 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 quarter. 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.

24 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

25 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.

26 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 quarters, 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) available at the ABS web site <www.abs.gov.au>.

CONFIDENTIALISATION OF DATA

27 Under the Census and Statistics Act, when releasing statistics the ABS is required to do this in a manner that is "not likely" (in a legal sense) to enable the identification of a particular person or organisation. A number of techniques are used to do this, including suppression of information. To ensure provider confidentiality in the Survey of Tourist Accommodation, the ABS uses a computerised process known as Disclosure Avoidance Analysis System (DAAS) to confidentialise the entire tourist accommodation dataset each quarter. This process not only ensures that data are suppressed to ensure individual establishments cannot be identified, but also suppresses data in other (consequential) cells to ensure data cannot be derived through deduction from the information available.

28 While the scope and coverage of the Survey of Tourist Accommodation has been expanded, priority has been given to maintaining the integrity and continuity of the core collection (hotels, motels and guest houses, and serviced apartments with 15 or more rooms). In order to maximise data released from the core collection series and the new components of the expanded scope collection (hotels, motels and guest houses, and serviced apartments with 5-14 rooms), the 'total' series (5 or more rooms) has been used for any consequential confidentiality required where possible.

29 The DAAS process begins by confidentialising at the Statistical Local Area (SLA) level, then across Tourism regions, then at the state level and finally the national level. If there is an SLA that has been made confidential then another SLA will have to be made confidential within that Tourism region to protect the confidentiality of the providers in the SLA that was originally made confidential. Depending on the number of SLAs in the Tourism region the whole Tourism region may need to be made confidential. As a consequence of this, then at least one more Tourism region within a state or territory will also be confidentialised. This may also occur at the state/territory level.

USER AGGREGATION OF DATA

30 The results of any user-aggregated data across time periods should be viewed with caution, due to the possibility of non-inclusion of confidentialised data (see the above section for more information re confidentialisation). Where one or more cells contributing to a total have been confidentialised (ie, contains the value of n.p.), the resulting aggregated total will be incorrect. However, some broader levels of data may not be affected by confidentialised cells.

31 Where data can be aggregated (ie, no confidentialised cells are included) for calendar and financial year/s purposes, Establishments, Rooms, Persons employed and Bed spaces data items should not be aggregated. For these items it is recommended that for calendar years, the value of the December quarter is used, and for financial years, the value of the June quarter is used.

32 Any data items that have been derived from other items collected in the survey cannot be aggregated (ie, all those with labels ending in 'rate' or commencing with 'average'). These items must be re-derived based on the aggregation of each of the quarterly items collected in the survey used to derive the rate or average (see Glossary for formulas).

33 Users are cautioned against deriving any non-standard aggregations (eg, aggregation of selected star gradings such as 4-star and 5-star; aggregation of selected geographical areas such as capital city areas and balance of state; aggregation of selected activities such as hotels and motels combined). This is because data are confidentialised based on the standard data item structure.

EFFECTS OF ROUNDING

34 Where figures have been rounded, discrepancies may occur between totals and the sum of the component items.

RELATED PUBLICATIONS

35 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 the ABS web site <www.abs.gov.au>.

Tourist Accommodation, Small Area Data (cat. no. 8635.0.55.002) (data cube for Australia - issued quarterly)
Tourist Accommodation, Small Area Data (cat. no. 8635.1.55.001-8635.8.55.001) (data cubes for each state/territory - issued quarterly)
Tourism Region Maps and Concordance Files, Australia (cat. no. 9503.0.55.001) (annual)
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)

ABS DATA AVAILABLE ON REQUEST

37 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.