Latest tourist accommodation figures show recovery underway
The latest data from Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) relating to tourist accommodation figures for March 2022 shows positive increase. Total income from accommodation increased to R1,7bn, an 88% increase compared to March 2021. For the entire first quarter of 2022, income from tourism accommodation rose 83%.
Measured in nominal terms (current prices), total income for the tourist accommodation industry increased by 110,6% in March 2022 compared with March 2021.
Income from accommodation increased by 87,6% year-on-year in March 2022, the result of a 48,7% increase in the number of stay unit nights sold and a 26,2% increase in the average income per stay unit night sold.
In March 2022, the largest contributors to the 87,6% year-on-year increase in income from accommodation were hotels (110,3% and contributing 54,4 percentage points); and ‘other’ accommodation (67,5% and contributing 29,0 percentage points).
Income from hotel accommodation rose by 118% in the first quarter compared to the first quarter of 2021. 'Other' accommodation amounted to 48,9% and contributed 22,0 percentage points). Seasonally adjusted income from accommodation increased by 26,3% month-on-month in March 2022 and by 3,4% month-on-month in February 2022.
Minister of Tourism, Lindiwe Sisulu expressed her excitement at the latest data Stats SA relating to tourist accommodation figures for March 2022, saying: "We especially celebrate the rebounding in hotel accommodation as it strengthens our case for investment, and rewards the confidence displayed by investors in our tourism sector as we work hard towards a recovery.
"We are also happy that guest houses saw a 105% increase in incomes in the first quarter of 2022 compared to the same time last year. While other sectors continue to see dampened incomes, tourism continues to show strong recovery. Our efforts are paying off." However, Sisulu expressed regret at the issues besetting Comair and its suspension of British airways and Kulula flights, which could have a dampening effect on this strong recovery.
“Air travel is a key pillar for South Africa’s tourism recovery and i am confident that the memorandum of understanding (MoU) Sa tourism recently signed with emirates airlines to grow the tourism market in south Africa will bear fruits soon.” Said Sisulu. “similar effort is underway with Qatar airways and other airlines will hopefully serve to fill this gap”.
