Developments in the balance of travel services

Developments in the balance of travel services – December 2015

22/02/2016 - Press Releases

Balance of travel services

Based on provisional data, the balance of travel services showed a surplus of €41 million in December 2015, compared with a deficit of €18 million in December 2014. More specifically, travel receipts rose by 12.2% to €205 million in December 2015, up from €183 million in the same month of 2014. Travel payments dropped by 18.1% (December 2015: €164 million, December 2014: €200 million). Higher travel receipts resulted mainly from an increase of €24.1% in average expenditure per trip, as arrivals decreased by 9.3%. Net receipts from travel services accounted for 11.8% of total net receipts from services and offset 2.7% of the goods deficit.

In 2015, the balance of travel services showed a surplus of €12,169 million, up 7.5% from a surplus of €11,317 million in 2014. This development is attributed primarily to an increase of €801 million or 6.0% in travel receipts and, to a lesser extent, a decrease of €51 million or 2.5% in travel payments. Higher travel receipts were mainly due to increased arrivals by 7.1%, as the average expenditure per trip dropped by 1.2%. Net receipts from travel services offset 70.6% of the goods deficit and accounted for 71.5% of total net receipts from services.

Travel receipts

In December 2015, as mentioned previously, travel receipts rose by 12.2% year-on-year. Looking at the breakdown by visitor’s country of origin, receipts from residents of the EU28 decreased by 14.5% (December 2015: €84 million, December 2014: €98 million), while receipts from residents outside the EU28 rose by 44.9% (December 2015: €119 million, December 2014: €82 million). Lower receipts from within the EU28 resulted from a fall of €6 million or 9.4% in receipts from euro area residents, and a decrease of 23.1% in receipts from residents of non-euro area EU28 countries (December 2015: €28 million, December 2014: €36 million). Among major countries of origin, receipts from Germany fell by 13.5% to €19 million, while those from France stood relatively unchanged at €7 million. Receipts from the United Kingdom also decreased, by 17.8% to €12 million (December 2014: €15 million). Turning to non-EU28 countries, receipts from Russia rose by 133.1% to €7 million and those from the United States increased by 1.0% to €11 million.

In 2015, travel receipts increased by 6.0% year-on-year to €14,195 million. This development is attributed to higher receipts from within the EU28 (up 14.7% to €9,455 million), as receipts from outside the EU28 dropped by 9.7% to €4,301 million. In particular, receipts from euro area residents increased by 10.8% to €6,042 million, and receipts from residents of non-euro area EU28 countries rose by 22.3% to €3,414 million. Specifically, receipts from Germany rose by 13.6% to €2,266 million and those from France by 6.6% to €1,204 million. Receipts from the United Kingdom also increased, by 30.5% to €2,027 million. Turning to non-EU28 countries, receipts from Russia fell by 63.2% to €426 million, while receipts from the United States increased by 44.4% to €946 million.

Inbound traveller flows (1)

The number of inbound visitors in December 2015 fell by 9.3% year-on-year to 488 thousand. This development reflected a 36.9% drop in arrivals from within the EU28, as arrivals from outside the EU28 rose by 31.5%. In greater detail, arrivals from the euro area decreased by 1.0% to 105 thousand, and those from the non-euro area EU28 countries dropped by 54.8% (December 2015: 97 thousand, December 2014: 214 thousand). Specifically, arrivals from Germany rose by 20.0% to 30 thousand and those from France by 24.2% to 13 thousand. Arrivals from the United Kingdom also rose, by 24.7% to 27 thousand. Turning to non-EU28 countries, arrivals from Russia increased by 47.1% to 9 thousand, and those from the United States rose by 48.5% to 19 thousand.

The number of inbound visitors in 2015 increased by 7.1% to 23,600 thousand (from 22,034 thousand in 2014). In 2015, arrivals from within the EU28 stood at 14,974 thousand (up 13.0% compared with 2014), whereas arrivals from outside the EU28 dropped by 1.8% to 8,625 thousand. Arrivals from the euro area rose by 9.8% and those from the non-euro area EU28 countries by 17.1%. More specifically, arrivals from Germany and France increased by 14.3% and 4.0% to 2,810 thousand and 1,522 thousand respectively, while arrivals from the United Kingdom also rose by 14.7% to 2,397 thousand. Finally, turning to non-EU28 countries, arrivals from Russia fell by 59.0% to 513 thousand, while those from the United States increased by 26.8% to 750 thousand.

(1) Inbound traveller flows exclude cruise passengers (other than those recorded in the Border Survey).