Developments in the balance of travel services: October 2018

24/12/2018 - Press Releases

Balance of travel services

Based on provisional data, the balance of travel services in October 2018 showed a surplus of €1,248 million, compared with a surplus of €1,028 million in October 2017. More specifically, travel receipts in October 2018 rose by 18.3% to €1,408 million, from €1,191 million in October 2017, whereas travel payments decreased by 1.3% (October 2018: €161 million, October 2017: €163 million). The rise in travel receipts is attributed to a 15.6% increase in inbound traveller flows, as well as to a rise of 3.4% or €16 in average expenditure per trip. Net receipts from travel services accounted for 69.7% of total net receipts from services and offset 51.9% of the goods deficit.

In January-October 2018, the balance of travel services showed a surplus of €13,873 million, up from a surplus of €12,599 million in the same period of 2017. This development is attributed to an increase, by 9.9% or €1,402 million, in travel receipts, which were only partly offset by travel payments, up by 8.0% or €129 million. The rise in travel receipts reflected a 10.8% increase in inbound traveller flows, as average expenditure per trip fell slightly, by €3 or 0.5%. Net receipts from travel services accounted for 75.8% of total net receipts from services and offset 73.1% of the goods deficit.

Travel receipts

In October 2018, as mentioned previously, travel receipts increased by 18.3% year-on-year. In more detail, receipts from residents of the EU28 rose by 14.1% to €901 million and receipts from outside the EU28 rose by 31.7% (October 2018: €447 million, October 2017: €339 million). The higher receipts from within the EU28 were due to increases in receipts from euro area residents by 12.3% to €625 million and in receipts from residents of non-euro area EU28 countries by 18.6% to €276 million (October 2017: €233 million). Among major countries of origin, receipts from Germany fell by 6.2% to €326 million, whereas receipts from France increased by 73.0% to €90 million. Receipts from the United Kingdom increased by 3.8% to €151 million. Turning to non-EU28 countries, receipts from Russia fell by 25.0% to €17 million, whereas receipts from the United States rose by 84.8% to €163 million.

In January-October 2018, travel receipts totalled €15,614 million, up 9.9% relative to the same period of 2017. This development was driven by a 12.4% increase in receipts from residents of the EU28, which came to €10,801 million, and by a 5.1% rise in receipts from residents outside the EU28 to €4,398 million. In particular, receipts from euro area residents increased by 12.3% year-on-year to €6,895 million, while receipts from residents of non-euro area EU28 countries also rose, by 12.5% to €3,906 million. Specifically, receipts from Germany rose by 13.6% to €2,839 million, while receipts from France dropped by 5.0% to €935 million. Receipts from the United Kingdom also decreased, by 6.1% to €1,901 million. Turning to non-EU28 countries, receipts from Russia decreased by 20.0% to €328 million, while receipts from the United States increased by 25.0% to €975 million.

Inbound traveller flows (1)

The number of inbound visitors in October 2018 rose by 15.6% year-on-year to 2,723 thousand. Specifically, visitor flows through airports increased by 12.0%, while visitor flows through road border-crossing points increased by 40.0%. This increase in flows was due to higher visitor flows from within the EU28 (up 12.4%), as visitor flows from outside the EU28 declined by 24.8%. In greater detail, the number of visitors from within the euro area rose by 13.4% to 1,227 thousand and visitors from the non-euro area EU28 countries rose by 10.9% (October 2018: 753 thousand, October 2017: 679 thousand). Specifically, the number of visitors from Germany decreased by 7.8% to 612 thousand, while visitors from France increased by 50.6% to 157 thousand. The number of visitors from the United Kingdom fell by 13.1% to 253 thousand. Turning to non-EU28 countries, the number of visitors from Russia rose by 8.9% to 45 thousand, while the number of visitors from the United States rose by 77.7% to 164 thousand.

In January-October 2018, the number of inbound visitors rose by 10.8% to 28,680 thousand (January-October 2017: 25,891 thousand). Specifically, visitor flows through airports increased by 13.4%, while visitor flows through road border-crossing points increased by 6.7%. In the period under review, the number of visitors from within the EU28 rose by 15.7% year-on-year to 20,611 thousand, while the number of visitors from outside the EU28 edged down by 0.2% to 8,069 thousand. Visitors from within the euro area rose by 16.4%, while visitors from the non-euro area EU28 countries increased by 15.0%. Specifically, the number of visitors from Germany increased by 19.0% to 4,259 thousand, as did the number of visitors from France, by 6.4% to 1,485 thousand. The number of visitors from the United Kingdom decreased by 1.7% to 2,865 thousand. Finally, turning to non-EU28 countries, the number of visitors from Russia fell by 13.7% to 494 thousand, whereas the number of visitors from the United States rose by 25.7% to 1,015 thousand.

Note: The next Press Release on “Developments in the balance of travel services” for November 2018 will be published on 22 January 2019.

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