Tourism earns R1 bil monthly
David Masango
2 June 2005
Local and international tourists are making South Africa one of the most popular holiday destinations in the world. Tourists contribute almost R1 billion to the country's economy each month, according to a Statistics South Africa survey.
Results of the latest Survey of Tourist Accommodation reveal that the average total monthly income in the tourist accommodation industry between September 2004 and January 2005 was R963.9 million.
The survey also showed that most of this income was derived from accommodation (66%), followed by income from restaurant and bar sales (25%).
"The survey also reveals that an average monthly total of 99 600 stay units (such as a hotel room or powered site in a caravan park) was available in the South African accommodation industry during that period," said Statistics South Africa's Itani Magwaba.
The largest contributor in this regard was hotels (47%), followed by 'other accommodation' such as bed and
breakfast enterprises and lodges (34%).
Magwaba said the new survey was aimed at increasing the scope and coverage of South African Tourism and enterprises surveyed.
He said the results were also used to compile estimates of the Tourism Satellite Accounts, which are in the process of being developed, and the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and its components, which were used to develop and monitor government policy.
The tourism satellite accounts are used to study tourism-related industries and products.
"These statistics are also used in the analysis of comparative business and industry performance," explained Magwaba.
The survey was based on a new sample of approximately 800 enterprises that was drawn in July 2004 from the StatsSA business register and was conducted by mail, fax and telephone.
It covered enterprises that are registered for income tax and are primarily involved in providing short-stay commercial accommodation such as hotels, caravan
parks and camping sites, guest-houses and guest-farms as well as other accommodation.
The new release is not comparable to the discontinued release - the Hotels' Trading Statistics - the survey of which was conducted using a list of all hotels graded by the then South African Tourism Board (Satour) when the grading of hotels was still compulsory by law.
Source BuaNews
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