WORLD TOURISM ORGANIZATION (UNWTO)

Software for Measuring Accommodation

Services

SESRIC-UNWTO Workshop on Tourism Statistics and the Elaboration of a Tourism Satellite Account

ANKARA, TURKEY

June 2008

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Accommodation

• Probably the most important sector within the tourism industries in any country

• Measuring it, provides wealth of statistics

• Relates to both Inbound and Domestic tourism

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Objectives

• Geographical distribution of tourists (travellers) (domestic and international)

• Use of accommodation by type, category, location and size

• Seasonal variation• Supply vs. demand• Duration of stay• Employment• Income

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So what are the difficulties?

• Available…but often hard to capture

• Geographical spread• Variety of forms of

accommodation that are often not well identified (not always a licensing procedure, or not covering all types)

• Need statistics in a consistent format

• Need consent and active participation of management

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Key Issues

• Legislation – providers must collect statistics• Educate – trust / share the findings• Universe need not be all establishments• Ideally cover greatest possible number• Sometimes confined to tourist areas• Must cover the whole year

Remember…

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Key IssuesRemember…

• Legislation – providers must collect statistics• Educate – trust / share the findings• Universe need not be all establishments• Ideally cover greatest possible number• Sometimes confined to tourist areas• Must cover the whole year

Not all guests are tourists

And…

Some tourists will not stay in commercial accommodation

Some tourists during their trips can also stay in more than one accommodation

establishment

So…

Not all inbound or domestic tourism is reflected in the statistics

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TABLE 5Production Accounts of the Tourism

Industries

1 - Hotels (2 - 12) and similar

A. Specific products Characteristic products .......................................... Connected products ..........................................B. Non specific products ..........................................Value of domestic produced goods net of distribution marginsValue of imported goods net of distribution margins X X X X X

TOTAL output (at basic prices)1. Agriculture, forestry and fishery products X X2. Ores and minerals X X............................................. X XTotal intermediate consumption (at purchasers price)

Total gross value added of activities (at basic prices)

TOTAL output of domestic producers

(at basic prices)Products

TOURISM INDUSTRIES

Tourism connected industries

Non specific industries

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TABLE 10Non-monetary indicators

Hotels and similar

Others Second homes

Number of establishments

Capacity (rooms)

Capacity (beds)

Capacity utilization (rooms)

Capacity utilization (beds)

Collective tourism establishments

Private tourism accommodation

c. Number of establishments and capacity by forms of accommodation

Others

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Software for Measuring Accommodation Services

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How does it work?

• Compile a directory of accommodation establishments• Select a sample• Get the participation of the establishments in the sample• They complete and return a monthly form• These forms are processed centrally• Missing information is estimated• Informants receive feed-back

Why not do it electronically?

Technology widely used in the sector

Facilitates data collection

Facilitates data compilation

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The Software

• A programme that runs on Excel

• Easy to use

• Simplifies data collection

• Formats data ready for transmission

• Data ready to be processed by NTA

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The format

• 4 interrelated worksheets– Operations data– Analysis– Results– Data Stream

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Operations data

• Operation information

• Accommodation capacity

• Employment: all staff on payroll

• Wages and salaries

• Turnover total revenue for the month

• Statistics on rooms: occupied, vacant, and arrivals/departures

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Results

• Accommodation ratios– Room occupancy rate– Bed occupancy rate– Bed/room ratio

• Average Length of Stay– Domestic/foreign Guests

• Room and beds– Total room nights– Total bed nights

(domestic/foreign)– Arrivals (domestic/foreign)

• Economic indicators– Average room rate– Average total spend

(room/night, guest/night)– Employee/room– Average wage/employee– Average

revenue/employee

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Basic summary data:

• the data stream

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229/465 = 49.2%

Room Occupancy Rate

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(160+123)/930 = 30.4%

Bed Occupancy Rate

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Using the data stream

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(160+123)/229 = 1.2

Persons per Room

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(160+123)/(9+12) = 13.5

Average Length of Stay

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(30,000)/229 = 131

Average Room Rate

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39,500/(160+123) = 140

Average Total Spend (per guest night)

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(11+(5/2))/15 = 0.9

Employees per Room

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20,000/(11+(5/2)) = 1,481

Average Wage per Employee

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39,500/(11+(5/2)) = 2,926

Average Revenue per Employee

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- You can save and print the results;

- You can print and export the output (data stream).

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Compiling Statistics

• Monthly, quarterly and annually

• Regionally and nationally

• Access, Excel or other software

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Define Scope of the Survey

Encourage Sector

Participation

Directory of

Establishments

Daily Record

Programme

Compile Results and

Report

In Summary…

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Difficulties

• Get the regular participation of the industry– Insist on the benefits for them– Provide feedback– Discuss the results with them

• Update regularly the directory of establishments in particular when new developments are known…

• If the coverage is too unstable– Device a system of estimation of missing values (guidelines

are provided)– Systematic process of revision of estimates when late

information arrives: pedagogical exercise (importance of each data…)