Information system for the Swedish Accommodation Statistics

1. Information system for theSwedish Accommodation Statistics Sara Frankl, Statistics Sweden Marketing Manager at the unit “Travellers and Tourism” tfn: +46 8 506 948 04, e-mail: sara.frankl@scb.se

2. The Swedish Accommodation Statistics • Collection • Approximately 2 700 establishments, • 1 700 hotels, 300 holiday villages and 700 youth hostels • 5 rooms or more rooms • Monthly collection • Some data per day (occupied rooms and beds) • 4 full time employees • Today: • Paper form or print-outs from booking system • All forms and print-outs are manually registered • No fine for non-respondents

3. The Swedish Accommodation Statistics • Dissemination • Regional level data on the Statistics Sweden’s homepage • Feedback on paper to those who send in data, on time, on a number of variables (capacity, occupied room and beds, RevPar and overnight stays) • Subscriptions and single orders of statistics on regional and local level or by sets of minimum 5 units • Data is disseminated 5 weeks after the measured month

4. Background – the challenge • Demands and requirements from the Tourist industry • Shorten the time between collection and dissemination of data • Increase user value for the Accommodation industry as well as for the Tourist industry in general • Minimize response burden Kept or increased quality! • Market situation • Competition on the market from the private sector, private companies offers instant dissemination of data via the Internet • What to do? • Project group autumn 2002: Statistics Sweden, The Swedish Tourist Authority, Swedish Hotel and Restaurant Association • Reference group: Hotel Chains

5. Objectives • Increase the value of the information to the users • Increase the usability and relevance of the feedback to our users. • Shorten the time between the collection and dissemination of data with 50% • Minimize the response burden • Make it easier for the respondents to distribute data to Statistics Sweden • Integrate the quality check of data with the respondents distribution of data for fewer ”correction” calls. • Motivate our respondents with better feedback • Increase the flexibility of the system • To a greater extent adapting the collection and feedback of data to the different requirements, needs and prerequisites of different kinds ofrespondents and statistics users

6. Mission statement An integrated it-system that meets the different requirements, needs and prerequisites of both respondents and statistics users

7. Strategies Step By Step • Splitting up the project into smaller projects with separate mission statements, objectives and strategies, minimizing the risk of developing huge, expensive solutions, not in line with the users demands, needs and prerequisites Cooperation and involvement • An important condition: the respondents, users, software companies etc. must be involved in the process from the beginning Research • Qualitative and quantitative market research

8. Integrated systems TEXTFILE WEBSURVEY PAPERFORM “Vision of tomorrow” Interactive web based solutions “Lightly” interactive feedback to respondents Statistics packages

9. Supplying data by text file • An application in the hotel’s booking system creates a text file (ASCII) • The text file is sent to Statistics Sweden by FTP or by e-mail • The process can be totally automatized or involve a few manual elements Hotel booking system Accommodation Statistics’ database • The data is imported into the Accommodation Statistics’ database • Quality checks are performed as the data is imported (logical checks) • It’s possible (and desirable) to build in some quality tests in the application in the booking system

10. Text file - The working process Prototype • To avoid the most obvious traps and to learn where we are likely to encounter problems • In collaboration with one of the major hotel chains

11. Text file - The working process Involving the interested parties • Meeting with the major suppliers of hotel software – information and marketing • Statistics Sweden’s proposal for file design circulated for comments • Contact with the hotel software suppliers by telephone and e-mail

12. Text file - The working process Implementation • Circulation of the final file design to all interested parties • Information about the possibility of supplying data by text file to the respondents, requesting them to inquire for the new application at their software supplier • Support and testing of the applications

13. Text file - The working process Present situation • Two software suppliers have developed the application – two more will start working with it during the summer or fall

14. Text file - The working process Experiences • Smaller suppliers of software seems more interested in developing the application – competitive advantage? • The major software suppliers have a list of development work and a new way of supplying data to the accommodation statistics does not have the highest priority

15. Text file - The working process Strategies for the continuing process • Work on the major suppliers while working with the minor ones • The hotels DEMAND is essential – marketing! • Once a certain volume is reached, even the major suppliers will have to develop the application

16. The next step • Form on the Internet • Interactive Webbased dissemination of data

17. Collecting accommodation data via the Internet Anne Mari Auno Senior Executive Officer, Statistics Norway tel: +47 62 88 54 01, e-mail: anne.mari.auno@ssb.no

18. information and data exchange with enterprises a scalable and general solution for web-based data collection from enterprises all data are stored centrally all data are encrypted IDUN – the web portal • a low-cost and safe system

19. The quality of the data is measured by the number and types of warnings per questionnaire. Data quality

20. The Internet respondents • 18 per cent answer via the Internet • 93 per cent of the Internet respondents answer within a fortnight • the Internet respondents constitute a third of all guest nights (Feb. 2004) • Timeliness may be improved

21. Response burden • In reality the response burden is unchanged, but it is perceived to be lower. • Later we will be able to offer statistics on each establishment in return reducing the burden.

22. Conclusion A success