The Table Below Shows the Number of Licensed Hotels with at Least

Essay

The table below shows the number of licensed hotels with at least 15 rooms in New South Wales from March 1998 to December 2009. $\quad$
$\begin{array}{ll}\text { Mar-1998 } & 175 \\\text { Jun-1998 } & 174 \\\text { Sep-1998 } & 174 \\\text { Dec-1998 } & 172 \\\text { Mar-1999 } & 177 \\\text { Jun-1999 } & 171 \\\text { Sep-1999 } & 176 \\\text { Dec-1999 } & 179 \\\text { Mar-2000 } & 181\\\text { Jun-2000 } & 184 \\\text { Sep-2000 } & 191 \\\text { Dec-2000 } & 194 \\\text { Mar-2001 } & 198 \\\text { Jun-2001 } & 198 \\\text { Sep-2001 } & 199 \\\text { Dec-2001 } & 201 \\\text { Mar-2002 } & 198 \\\text { Jun-2002 } & 196 \\\text { Sep-2002 } & 195 \\\text { Dec-2002 } & 198 \\\text { Mar-2003 } & 199 \\\text { Jun-2003 } & 202 \\\text { Sep-2003 } & 201 \\\text { Dec-2003 } & 201\\\text { Mar-2004 } & 199 \\\text { Jun-2004 } & 199 \\\text { Sep-2004 } & 198 \\\text { Dec-2004 } & 197 \\\text { Mar-2005 } & 199 \\\text { Jun-2005 } & 199 \\\text { Sep-2005 } & 198 \\\text { Dec-2005 } & 199 \\\text { Mar-2006 } & 202 \\\text { Jun-2006 } & 205 \\\text { Sep-2006 } & 203 \\\text { Dec-2006 } & 201\\\text { Mar-2007 } & 202 \\\text { Jun-2007 } & 200 \\\text { Sep-2007 } & 202 \\\text { Dec-2007 } & 202 \\\text { Mar-2008 } & 201 \\\text { Jun-2008 } & 203 \\\text { Sep-2008 } & 204 \\\text { Dec-2008 } & 203 \\\text { Mar-2009 } & 203 \\\text { Jun-2009 } & 206 \\\text { Sep-2009 } & 203 \\\text { Dec-2009 } & 210\end{array}$ a. Plot the time series.
b. When did the number of licensed hotels with at least 15 rooms in New South Wales grow fastest?