Developments in the balance of travel services: December 2016
21/02/2017 - Press Releases
Balance of travel services
Based on provisional data, the balance of travel services showed a surplus of €55 million in December 2016, compared with a surplus of €5 million in December 2015. More specifically, travel receipts in December 2016 rose to €193 million (up 4.7% from €184 million in December 2015), whereas travel payments fell by 22.9% (December 2016: €139 million, December 2015: €180 million). The rise in travel receipts resulted from a 15.6% increase in inbound traveller flows, as average expenditure per trip fell by 9.4%. Net receipts from travel services offset 3.6% of the goods deficit and accounted for 10.0% of total net receipts from services.
In 2016, the balance of travel services showed a surplus of €11,210 million, down 7.3% from a surplus of €12,088 million in 2015. This development was due to a decrease of €906 million or 6.4% in travel receipts, as travel payments dropped by €28 million or 1.4%. The fall in travel receipts resulted from an 11.3% decline in average expenditure per trip, as inbound traveller flows rose by 5.1%. Net receipts from travel services offset 67.6% of the goods deficit and accounted for 73.2% of total net receipts from services.
Travel receipts
In December 2016, as mentioned previously, travel receipts rose by 4.7% year-on-year. Looking at the breakdown by visitor’s country of origin, receipts from residents of the EU28 increased by 32.2% (December 2016: €107 million, December 2015: €81 million), while receipts from outside the EU28 dropped by 17.3% (December 2016: €84 million, December 2015: €101 million). The rise in receipts from within the EU28 was due to a 22.1% increase in receipts from euro area residents to €67 million in December 2016, from €55 million in December 2015, as well as to a 53.4% rise in receipts from residents of non-euro area EU28 countries. Among major countries of origin, receipts from Germany fell by 3.8% to €17 million and those from France dropped by 18.2% to €4 million. Receipts from the United Kingdom increased by 33.4% to €18 million. Turning to non-EU28 countries, receipts from Russia fell by 4.8% to €5 million, while receipts from the United States increased by 78.8% to €16 million.
In 2016, travel receipts fell by 6.4%, compared with the previous year, to €13,220 million. This development is attributed to lower receipts from both within the EU28 (down 3.0% to €9,123 million) and outside the EU28 (down 15.0% to €3,633 million). In particular, receipts from euro area residents fell by 6.9% to €5,596 million, while those from residents of non-euro area EU28 countries rose by 3.9% to €3,527 million. Specifically, receipts from Germany dropped by 4.1% to €2,152 million and those from France by 25.1% to €894 million. Receipts from the United Kingdom also decreased, by 2.9% to €1,961 million. Turning to non-EU28 countries, receipts from Russia rose by 3.4% to €436 million, while those from the United States fell by 22.8% to €728 million.
Inbound traveller flows (1)
The number of inbound visitors in December 2016 rose by 15.6% year-on-year to 564 thousand. Specifically, visitor flows through airports increased by 34.4% and those through road border-crossing points by 2.6%. This development is attributed to higher visitor flows from within the EU28 (up 65.4%), as those from outside the EU28 fell by 19.6%. In greater detail, visitors from the euro area rose by 43.8% to 151 thousand and those from the non-euro area EU28 countries increased by 89.0% (December 2016: 183 thousand, December 2015: 97 thousand). Specifically, visitors from Germany increased by 29.4% to 39 thousand, while those from France fell by 33.6% to 9 thousand. Visitors from the United Kingdom rose by 32.6% to 36 thousand. Turning to non-EU28 countries, visitors from Russia rose by 21.9% to 11 thousand, while visitors from the United States rose by 19.9% to 23 thousand.
The number of inbound visitors in 2016 increased by 5.1% to 24,799 thousand (2015: 23,600 thousand). Specifically, visitor flows through airports increased by 9.0%, while those through road border-crossing points fell by 4.7%. In 2016, visitors from within the EU28 increased by 15.0%, compared with the previous year, to 17,217 thousand, whereas those from outside the EU28 fell by 12.1% to 7,583 thousand. Visitors from the euro area rose by 9.1% and those from the non-euro area EU28 countries by 22.1%. Specifically, visitors from Germany rose by 11.7% to 3,139 thousand, while those from France fell by 13.7% to 1,314 thousand. Visitors from the United Kingdom rose by 20.8% to 2,895 thousand. Finally, turning to non-EU28 countries, visitors from Russia increased by 16.1% to 596 thousand and those from the United States by 3.8% to 779 thousand.
Note: The next Press Release on “Developments in the balance of travel services” for January 2017 will be published on 24 March 2017.
(1) Inbound traveller flows exclude cruise passengers (other than those recorded in the Border Survey).
Related link: Developments in the balance of travel services: December 2016 - Table