Dear Stay Stellenbosch Member

Visit Stellenbosch is pleased to announce the launch of Accommodation Data Tracking and Reporting – an invaluable tool that comes to you at absolutely no cost. In collaboration with the Cape Winelands District Municipality through SA Wines, we are proud to present the Accommodation Performance Review & Forecast Reporting for the Cape Winelands region.

This collaboration holds immense significance as it enables us to gain profound insights into the actual contribution of tourism and accommodation to our region. Beyond this, it grants us the capability to make insightful comparisons between Stellenbosch’s performance metrics and those of neighbouring destinations like Cape Town and Franschhoek.

Our commitment to transparency and empowerment is further highlighted through the provision of detailed analysis encompassing metrics such as occupancy rates, average room rates, and revenue per available room for the current month. Looking ahead, our reporting will evolve to include year-on-year performance comparisons for the same month, as demonstrated in the attached example report from Cape Town Tourism.

This initiative is not only a cause for excitement but also represents a significant asset for your business and our region at large. We firmly believe that this partnership will enhance your decision-making processes and contribute to the overall growth of our industry.

Here are 5 Reasons Members should consider participating in the Monthly Cape Winelands District Accommodation Performance Survey

• The Survey is funded by the Cape Winelands District Municipality with a commitment to fund the project for three years – there is no cost to any Member to participate in the monthly survey.
• The Survey is facilitated by a third party, independent consultant, Horwath HTL (South Africa), the South African member of the global professional services network Crowe Global’s Horwath HTL Group which focuses exclusively on the hospitality, tourism and leisure sectors of the economy. Horwath HTL (South Africa) has facilitated a similar project for Cape Town Tourism for more than ten years.
• All information received is treated in the strictest of confidence and only aggregated results are ever published.
• All 13 towns within the Cape Winelands District Municipality are invited to participate in the monthly survey thus providing readers with benchmarking opportunities not only across towns but also the different types of accommodation establishments.
• The trends that evolve over time, as reported in the monthly report, can contribute to identifying and/or informing strategic planning of campaigns, local events, and marketing initiatives in addition to being referenced in support of/ motivation for strategic planning interventions. 
• Only business participating in the survey will receive the reports and insights

The 5 Ingredients Required for the Survey to be a Success

• As many Members to participate in the survey each month as is possible.
• To contribute even if your establishment has not performed as well as you would like over the preceding month, this is very important as participation only when your establishment is “shooting the lights out” will lead to the (incorrect) conclusion that everyone is performing very well all the time.
• If there is an event in town, let’s talk about it so that we can map it and monitor how the event impacts (positively or negatively) demand for accommodation both in terms of demand/ occupancy and average room rate.
• Whilst benchmarking ourselves against our peers is always interesting, our own trend line is considerably more valuable for us to understand.
• Vasbyt … the data becomes much more interesting in year two.

The survey launched earlier this month. As part of this, Stay Members are kindly requested to review data for the months of July and August. This synchronisation with the district municipality’s funding year is a crucial step in aligning our efforts towards mutual success. You are invited to participate in the inaugural survey by clicking here. If you are not the most appropriate person within your organization to complete the Survey, you are very welcome to share this email with a colleague who is better placed to do so.

To provide you with comprehensive insights into the survey process, we have arranged an informative session on 20 September at 11h30 at Lanzerac (Cellar Hall) where you will have the opportunity to meet Michelle from Horwath HTL. She will be overseeing the management of this initiative. RSVP for the Information Session.

Should you have any questions regarding the Survey and/or Report, please do not hesitate to reach out to Michele de Witt, Director at Horwath HTL (South Africa) directly (m: 082 894 7176 | e: MdeWitt@HorwathHTL.co.za ).

Thank you for your continued collaboration and commitment to fostering excellence in our industry. We anticipate great strides as we embark on this exciting journey together.

Additional information:

• Accommodation Performance Review Survey Questionnaire – Quick Guide, September 2023
• SAMPLE REPORT – Accommodation Performance Review & Forecast Report – January 2017
• Horwath HTL (South Africa), September 2023