On average, there were 600 less beds available in April 2008 than in the same month of 2007, according to the National Statistics Bureau (NSB) latest figures.
Licensed accommodation establishments sold 89910 bed nights (8% lower than April 2007) and 45850 room nights (7% lower than April 2007). Of the 89910 bed nights sold visitors occupied 88320, indicating that (59%) of visitor nights (calculated as the number of visitor arrivals times average length of stay) in April 2008 were spent in licensed accommodation establishments.
However, in terms of percentage occupancy rate, April 2008 was better than April 2007 with 61% recorded for beds and 64% for rooms up from 59% for beds and 61% for rooms. The percentage occupancy rates to date have been 59% for beds and 62% for rooms, compared to 57% for beds and 59% for rooms for the same period of 2007.
From January to April, a total of 353170 bed nights and 180970 room nights were sold 2008 compared to 375000 bed nights and 194290 room nights during the same period in 2007. Visitors occupied 347380 of bed nights sold. This indicates that 60% of visitor nights were spent in licensed accommodation establishments in the first quarter of the year.
The highest bed occupancy rate in April 2008 was for Hotels and Self Catering on Praslin (69%). Hotels on Mahe recorded 65%. Hotels on La Digue and Other Islands both recorded 62% bed occupancy. The highest bed occupancy for Guest and Private Houses was on other islands (67%) and the lowest was on Mahe (35%).