The survey is conducted monthly and covers a sample of public and private enterprises involved in the short-stay accommodation industry‚ with the results used to compile estimates of tourism satellite accounts‚ as well as the gross domestic product.

Stats SA said that income from accommodation only increased by 19% y/y in April‚ the result of a 9.8% increase in the number of stay unit nights sold and a 8.4% increase in the average income per stay unit night sold.

Stats SA describes a stay unit as a unit of accommodation available to be charged out to guests. Examples include a powered site in a caravan park or a hotel room.

The types of accommodation that recorded the highest y/y growth rates in income in April 2014 were caravan parks and camping sites (58.7%) and guest houses and guest farms (42.9%).

Income from accommodation increased by 10.2% in the three months ended April 2014 compared with the three months ended April 2013.