Developments in the balance of travel services: April 2016
22/06/2016 - Press Releases
Balance of travel services
Based on provisional data, the balance of travel services showed a surplus of €280 million in April 2016, down 10.0% from a surplus of €311 million in April 2015. More specifically, travel receipts fell by 7.0% to €443 million in April 2016, from €477 million in the same month of 2015. Travel payments fell more moderately, by 1.4% (April 2016: €164 million, April 2015: €166 million). Lower travel receipts resulted from a decline of 3.5% in arrivals and a drop of 4.5% in average expenditure per trip. Net receipts from travel services offset 20.3% of the goods deficit and accounted for 52.0% of total net receipts from services.
In January-April 2016, the balance of travel services showed a surplus of €370 million, down 5.2% from a surplus of €390 million in the same period of 2015. This development is attributed to a larger fall in travel receipts (down €34 million or 3.4%) than in travel payments (down €14 million or 2.3%). Lower travel receipts were mainly due to a decrease of 5.3% in arrivals, as average expenditure per trip rose by 1.6%. Net receipts from travel services offset 6.7% of the goods deficit and accounted for 29.2% of total net receipts from services.
Travel receipts
In April 2016, as mentioned previously, travel receipts fell by 7.0% year-on-year. Looking at the breakdown by visitor’s country of origin, receipts from residents of the EU28 dropped by 23.5% (April 2016: €211 million, April 2015: €275 million), while receipts from outside the EU28 rose by 16.4% (April 2016: €207 million, April 2015: €178 million). Lower receipts from within the EU28 resulted mainly from a decrease of €60 million or 33.0% in receipts from euro area residents, but also from a fall of 4.9% in receipts from residents of non-euro area EU28 countries (April 2016: €89 million, April 2015: €93 million). Among major countries of origin, receipts from Germany fell by 50.7% to €31 million, while those from France decreased by 16.6% to €30 million. Receipts from the United Kingdom also dropped, by 6.6% to €56 million. Turning to non-EU28 countries, receipts from Russia fell by 18.1% to €11 million, whereas receipts from the United States rose by 21.9% to €57 million.
In January-April 2016, travel receipts fell by 3.4% year-on-year to €959 million. This development is attributed to lower receipts from within the EU28 (down 14.5% to €469 million), as receipts from outside the EU28 rose by 10.5% to €454 million. In particular, receipts from euro area residents decreased by 21.0% to €265 million and receipts from residents of non-euro area EU28 countries dropped by 4.1% to €204 million. Specifically, receipts from Germany fell by 28.2% to €81 million and those from France by 11.7% to €44 million. Receipts from the United Kingdom also fell, by 1.3% to €106 million. Turning to non-EU28 countries, receipts from Russia rose by 5.9% to €23 million and those from the United States increased by 24.6% to €97 million.
Inbound traveller flows (1)
The number of inbound visitors in April 2016 fell by 3.5% year-on-year to 902 thousand. This development mainly reflected a 13.6% fall in arrivals from within the EU28, as arrivals from outside the EU28 increased by 13.8%. In greater detail, arrivals from the euro area decreased by 18.0% to 231 thousand and arrivals from the non-euro area EU28 countries decreased by 9.7% (April 2016: 279 thousand, April 2015: 308 thousand). Specifically, arrivals from Germany fell by 34.2% to 60 thousand and those from France dropped by 12.5% to 43 thousand. Arrivals from the United Kingdom increased by 12.0% to 99 thousand. Turning to non-EU28 countries, arrivals from Russia rose by 70.8% to 20 thousand and those from the United States increased by 50.9% to 64 thousand.
In January-April 2016, the number of inbound visitors decreased by 5.3% to 2,523 thousand, from 2,663 thousand in the same period of 2015. In the period under review, arrivals from within the EU28 fell by 10.9% year-on-year to 1,435 thousand, in contrast to arrivals from outside the EU28 which increased by 3.3% to 1,087 thousand. Arrivals from the euro area fell by 6.5% and arrivals from the non-euro area EU28 countries dropped by 13.8%. In greater detail, arrivals from Germany decreased by 12.4% to 178 thousand and those from France by 2.3% to 84 thousand. Arrivals from the United Kingdom rose by 9.0% to 206 thousand. Finally, turning to non-EU28 countries, arrivals from Russia rose by 97.7% to 40 thousand and those from the United States increased by 39.2% to 125 thousand.
(1) Inbound traveller flows exclude cruise passengers (other than those recorded in the Border Survey).
Related link: Developments in the balance of travel services: April 2016 - Table