information system for the swedish accommodation statistics sara frankl, statistics sweden marketing...

Information system for theSwedish Accommodation Statistics


Information system for the Swedish Accommodation Statistics

Sara Frankl, Statistics SwedenMarketing Manager at the unit “Travellers and Tourism”

tfn: +46 8 506 948 04, e-mail: [email protected]



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



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



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

Background – the challenge

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



Proposals from the reference group

Collection of data

• Function in the establishments booking system for automatized transfer of data to Statistics Sweden’s database

• Form on the Internet

Marketing

• Inform about and actively market processed data

• Actively form opinion through The Swedish Hotel and Restaurants Association, The Swedish Tourist Authority, Statistics Sweden and hotel chains

Dissemination of accommodation statistics

• Function that gives access till last months statistics then you have sent in this months data

• Relevant feedback to establishments that send in data on time (prises and RevPar)

• Better looking feedback with better graphics and more manageable diagrams

• Quick feedback based on a selection of larger establishments and/or hotel chains



.

.

..

..

Collection of data

• Function in the establishments booking system for automatized transfer of data to Statistics Sweden’s database

• Form on the Internet

Marketing

• Inform about and actively market processed data

• Actively form opinion through The Swedish Hotel and Restaurants Association, The Swedish Tourist Authority, Statistics Sweden and hotel chains

Dissemination of accommodation statistics

• Function that gives access till last months statistics then you have sent in this months data

• Relevant feedback to establishments that send in data on time (prises and RevPar)

• Better looking feedback with better graphics and more manageable diagrams

• Quick feedback based on a selection of larger establishments and/or hotel chains



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 of respondents and statistics users

Objectives





An integrated it-system that meets the

different requirements, needs and prerequisites of both respondents and statistics users

Mission statement



Strategies

Cooperation and involvement

An important condition: the respondents, users, software companies etc. must be involved in the process from the beginning

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

Research

Qualitative and quantitative market research



“Vision of tomorrow”

Interactive web based solutions

Statistics packages

Integratedsystems

“Lightly” interactive feedback to respondents



PAPER FORM

WEBSURVEY

TEXTFILE



Supplying data by text file

Hotel booking system• 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

• 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

Accommodation Statistics’ database



Text file - The working process

• 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

Prototype




• 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

Involving the interested parties




• 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

Implementation




• Two software suppliers have developed the application – two more will start working with it during the summer or fall

Present situation




• 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

Experiences




• 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

Strategies for the continuing process



The next step

Form on the Internet

Interactive Web based dissemination of data

information system for the swedish accommodation statistics sara frankl, statistics sweden marketing...

Documents

months statistics

swedish hotel

units data

months data relevant

instant dissemination

market processed data

automatized transfer

swedish tourist authority