Total income for SA’s tourist accommodation industry (which includes restaurant‚ bar sales and “other” income) rose by 1.1% year on year (y/y) in nominal terms (current prices) in January‚ Statistics SA’s tourist accommodation survey released on Monday showed. Income from accommodation decreased by 1.5% in January 2015 compared with January 2014.

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 and the gross domestic product. Stats SA said that income from accommodation decreased by 1.5% y/y in January‚ the result of a 9.3% decrease in the number of stay-unit nights sold and a 8.5% increase in the average income per stay-unit night sold. Stats SA describes a stay unit as a unit of accommodation available to be rented out to guests. Examples include a powered site in a caravan park or a hotel room.

The types of accommodation that recorded negative y/y growth rates in income in January 2015 were “other” accommodation (-9.2%) and caravan parks and camping sites (-3.2%). Income from accommodation increased by 2.8% in the three months ended January 2015 compared with the three months ended January 2014.</p