Developments in the balance of travel services: January 2017
24/03/2017 - Press Releases
Balance of travel services
Based on provisional data, the balance of travel services showed a surplus of €15 million in January 2017, compared with a surplus of €39 million in January 2016. More specifically, travel receipts in January 2017 fell by 2.4% to €165 million from €169 million in January 2016, whereas travel payments increased by 15.0% (January 2017: €150 million, January 2016: €130 million). The fall in travel receipts resulted from a 6.9% decline in inbound traveller flows, as average expenditure per trip rose by 4.9%. Net receipts from travel services offset 1.0% of the goods deficit and accounted for 4.6% of total net receipts from services.
Travel receipts
In January 2017, as mentioned previously, travel receipts declined by 2.4% year-on-year. Looking at the breakdown by visitor’s country of origin, receipts from residents of the EU28 increased by 1.8% (January 2017: €86 million, January 2016: €85 million), while receipts from outside the EU28 dropped by 6.6% (January 2017: €77 million, January 2016: €82 million). The rise in receipts from within the EU28 was due to a 6.6% increase in receipts from euro area residents (January 2017: €59 million, January 2016: €55 million), as receipts from residents of non-euro area EU28 countries fell by 7.1%. Among major countries of origin, receipts from Germany rose by 11.9% to €21 million, while those from France fell by 54.9% to €2 million. Receipts from the United Kingdom also decreased, by 2.5% to €12 million. Turning to non-EU28 countries, receipts from Russia rose by 177.3% to €7 million, while receipts from the United States increased by 7.5% to €13 million.
Inbound traveller flows (1)
The number of inbound visitors in January 2017 dropped by 6.9% year-on-year to 520 thousand. Specifically, visitor flows through airports increased by 19.9%, while those through road border-crossing points declined by 32.3%. This development is attributed to lower visitor flows from both within the EU28 (down 4.2%) and outside the EU28 (down 10.5%). In greater detail, visitors from the euro area increased by 31.2% to 158 thousand, while those from the non-euro area EU28 countries fell by 25.9% (January 2017: 145 thousand, January 2016: 196 thousand). Specifically, visitors from Germany increased by 33.1% to 51 thousand, while those from France fell by 42.4% to 6 thousand. Visitors from the United Kingdom rose by 20.2% to 36 thousand. Turning to non-EU28 countries, visitors from Russia rose by 285.9% to 11 thousand, while visitors from the United States rose by 24.3% to 20 thousand.
Note: The next Press Release on “Developments in the balance of travel services” for February 2017 will be published on 21 April 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: January 2017 - Table