The latest hotel occupancy statistics, released on Thursday, confirm Tourism Minister Valli Moosa’s description of South Africa as a ”hot” tourist destination.
The room and bed occupancy rates of all hotels for March this year increased by 12,9% and 13,7% respectively, compared to the same month in 2001, according to a release by Statistics SA.
Increases in both rates occurred in all nine provinces. North West’s room and bed occupancy rates were 23% and 24,2% higher respectively. Both rates in KwaZulu-Natal rose by about 21%, while the Western Cape’s occupancy rates increased by 15,8% and 16,9% respectively.
All 25 tourism regions recorded increases in both rates. The South Coast and Interior was the single most improved region, with both rates increasing by about 43%. The hotel income for that region also showed the largest increase: 44,3%.
The Overberg had improved room and bed occupancy rates of 23,1% and 24,4% respectively, and a 36,2% percent rise in hotel income. The total hotel income for March this year was 18,6% higher than that of March last year, Stats SA said.
Five-star hotels had the highest increase in income, namely 38,4%. Comparing the period January to March this year with the same quarter in 2001, the room and bed occupancy rates for the whole country were more than nine percent higher, while hotel income rose by 12,2%.
North West again led the provinces with better room and bed occupancy rates of 14,3% and 13,4% respectively. KwaZulu-Natal’s rates rose by between 11% and 12%.
The only region where decreases (of under three percent) were recorded was Pietermaritzburg and Midlands. All 25 regions had a higher hotel income.
At the Tourism Indaba in Durban over the weekend Moosa said South Africa was the only tourism destination in the world that had increased its market after the September 11 attacks in the United States. – Sapa