Occupancy rates up, holiday parks soar
The accommodation industry has had a boost with Australian Bureau of Statistics data out last week showing occupancy rates had lifted to 65.8% up slightly from 65.3% in 2011.
The Accommodation Association of Australia said it was an indication things were slowly improving for the industry year on year. “It’s a positive outcome for the industry and one which has the potential to increase investment confidence levels,” chief executive Richard Munro said.
On a quarterly basis, the rates fell slightly – from 65.7% in September to 65.5% in December.
“The ABS statistics also reflect a slight lift in the level of consumer confidence, which has been lagging in recent years,” Mr Munro said.
Tourism Australia’s Craig Davidson said domestic tourism and international arrivals were being driven up by a higher number of visitors from Asia.
“Feedback from operators has been positive about the future prospects for our industry,” he said. “We’re seeing greater numbers of investors looking at Australia to acquire, build and develop new accommodation products. We are already seeing some good examples, including on the Sydney fringe.”
AAA said another industry indicator, revenue per available room, was $107.99 in 2012, up from $103.83 in 2011.
But Mr Davidson said more work needed to be done to encourage investment in the industry.
“To hit our 2020 goals, we need more hotel beds in capital city Australia and investment in the regions.”
Meanwhile, Turu.com.au, Australia’s premier search engine for caravan and camping holidays, has welcomed a resurgence in caravanning and camping tourism coinciding with its launch last year.
The latest National Visitor Survey by Tourism Research Australia shows a growing preference for holidays parks in 2012, with 10% growth in visitor nights over the previous year. Holiday parks were a clear leader in a generally growing market, with the number of nights spent in a friend’s or relative’s property up 8% and rented accommodation up 6%.
Turu.com.au general manager, Robert Gallagher, said that in part this growth was due to Turu’s extensive promotion of holiday parks since its launch in July 2012.
“In the six months to December 2012, we booked over $3 million worth of TV, print and digital advertising, and I am confident from our numbers that this has helped drive the overall segment growth,” he said. “Certainly, our own figures show that we have had a major impact, with more than 50,000 booking inquiries equating to around 200,000 visitor nights booked in our first six months.
“That represents 18% of the full-year growth in the holiday park sector, all from just six months.”
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