Developments in the balance of travel services: May 2019
22/07/2019 - Press Releases
Balance of travel services
Based on
provisional data, the balance of travel services in May 2019 showed a
surplus of €1,361 million, compared with a surplus of €1,262 million in May
2018. More specifically, travel receipts in Μay 2019 rose by 9.3% to €1,605
million, from €1,468 million in May 2018, while travel payments also increased
by 18.4% (May 2019: €244 million, May 2018: €206 million). The
rise in travel receipts reflected a 12.2% increase in average expenditure per
trip, as inbound traveller flows decreased by 2.6%. Net receipts from travel
services offset 59.1% of the goods deficit and accounted for 74.9% of total net
receipts from services.
In January-May 2019, the
balance of travel services showed a surplus of €1,726 million, up from a
surplus of €1,598 million in the same period of 2018. This development is
attributed to an increase, of 14.4%
or €364 million, in travel receipts, which were only partly offset by travel
payments, up by 25.5% or €236 million. The rise in travel receipts is
attributed to a 15.4% increase in average expenditure per trip, as inbound
traveller flows fell slightly, by 0.9%. Net receipts from travel services
offset 17.2% of the goods deficit and accounted for 43.6% of total net receipts
from services.
Travel receipts
In May
2019, as mentioned previously, travel receipts rose by 9.3% year-on-year.
In more detail, receipts from residents of the EU28 increased by 3.3% to €1,122
million, whereas receipts from outside the EU28 rose by 29.1% (May 2019: €425
million, May 2018: €329 million). The higher receipts from within the EU28 were
due to increases of 4.4% in receipts from euro area residents (May 2019: €756
million, May 2018: €725 million) and of 1.1% in receipts from residents of
non-euro area EU28 countries to €366 million. More specifically, among major
countries of origin, receipts from Germany decreased by 8.2% to €357 million,
whereas receipts from France increased by 30.6% to €110 million. Receipts from
the United Kingdom also increased by 8.8% to
€251 million. Turning to non-EU28 countries, receipts from the United States
rose by 45.6% to €146 million, while receipts from Russia fell by 26.1% to €18
million.
In January-May
2019, travel receipts increased by 14.4%,
relative to the same period of 2018, to €2,889 million. This development was
driven by a 5.5% increase in receipts from residents of the EU28, which came to
€1,820 million, and by a 36.1% rise in receipts from residents outside the EU28
to €968 million. In particular, receipts from euro area residents increased by
6.0% to €1,230 million, while receipts from residents of non-euro area EU28
countries rose by 4.5% to €590 million. Specifically, receipts from Germany
dropped by 10.3% to €493 million, while receipts from France rose by 15.6% to
€178 million. Receipts from the
United Kingdom rose by 15.9% to €362 million. Turning to non-EU28 countries,
receipts from the United States increased by 50.7% to €255 million, while
receipts from Russia fell by 6.2% to €37 million.
Inbound traveller flows
The
number of inbound visitors in May 2019 fell by 2.6% year-on-year to 2,387 thousand.
Specifically, visitor flows through airports increased by 0.7%, whereas visitor
flows through road border-crossing points declined by 16.6%. This decrease in
flows was due to lower visitor flows from within the EU28 (down by 8.2%), as
visitor flows from outside the EU28 rose by 17.7%. In greater detail, visitors
from the euro area decreased by 8.4% to 1,072 thousand, while visitors from the
non-euro area EU28 countries declined by 7.9% (May 2019: 688 thousand, May
2018: 746 thousand). Specifically, the number of visitors from Germany
decreased by 13.6% to 477 thousand and visitors from France also decreased by
3.5% to 167 thousand. Visitors from the United Kingdom increased by 17.0% to
348 thousand. Turning to non-EU28 countries, visitors from the United States
increased by 73.5% to 132 thousand and visitors from Russia increased by 10.7%
to 26 thousand.
In January-May
2019, the
number of inbound visitors declined by 0.9% to 5,305 thousand (January-May
2018: 5,352 thousand). Specifically, visitor flows through airports increased
by 5.3%, whereas visitor flows through road border-crossing points declined by
14.4%. In the period under review, the number of visitors from within the EU28
decreased by 7.6% year-on-year to 3,433 thousand, while the number of visitors
from outside the EU28 increased by 14.4% to 1,872 thousand. Visitors from within
the euro area declined by 4.9% and visitors from the non-euro area EU28
countries fell by 11.0%. Specifically, the number of visitors from Germany
decreased by 14.3% to 761 thousand, while visitors from France increased by
5.5% to 288 thousand. Visitors from the United Kingdom also rose by 15.6% to
555 thousand. Finally, turning to non-EU28 countries, the number of visitors
from the United States increased by 45.5% to 287 thousand, while visitors from
Russia rose by 27.4% to 68 thousand.
Notes: The next Press Release on “Developments in the balance of travel services” for June 2019 will be published on
21 August 2019.
Related link: Developments in the Balance of Travel Services: May 2019 - Table