Developments in the balance of travel services – November 2015
21/01/2016 - Press Releases
Balance of travel services
Based on provisional data, the balance of travel services showed a surplus of €75 million in November 2015, up 84.3% from a surplus of €41 million in November 2014. More specifically, travel receipts rose by 16.0% to €241 million in November 2015, from €208 million in the same month of 2014. Travel payments dropped slightly by 0.7% (November 2015: €166 million, November 2014: €167 million). Higher travel receipts resulted mainly from an increase of 22.6% in average expenditure per trip, as arrivals decreased by 4.0%. Net receipts from travel services accounted for 20.1% of total net receipts from services and offset 4.7% of the goods deficit.
In January-November 2015, the balance of travel services showed a surplus of €12,128 million, up 7.0% from a surplus of €11,334 million in the same period of 2014. This development is attributed primarily to an increase of €779 million or 5.9% in travel receipts, and, to a lesser extent, to a decrease of €15 million or 0.8% in travel payments. Higher travel receipts were mainly due to increased arrivals (by 7.5%), as the average expenditure per trip dropped by 1.7%. Net receipts from travel services offset 77.0% of the goods deficit and accounted for 72.8% of total net receipts from services.
Travel receipts
In November 2015, as mentioned previously, travel receipts rose by 16.0% year-on-year. Looking at the breakdown by visitor’s country of origin, receipts from residents of the EU28 increased by 15.5% (November 2015: €116 million, November 2014: €100 million) and receipts from outside the EU28 rose by 20.1% (November 2015: €112 million, November 2014: €93 million). Higher receipts from within the EU28 resulted from a rise of €10 million or 17.6% in receipts from euro area residents and an increase of 13.0% in receipts from residents of non-euro area EU28 countries (November 2015: €52 million, November 2014: €46 million). Among major countries of origin, receipts from Germany rose by 32.5% to €19 million and those from France by 70.9% to €10 million. Receipts from the United Kingdom also increased by 63.3% to €28 million (November 2014: €17 million). Turning to non-EU28 countries, receipts from Russia fell by 40.8% to €4 million, while receipts from the United States increased by 40.4% to €17 million.
In January-November 2015, travel receipts increased by 5.9% year-on-year to €13,990 million. This development is attributed to higher receipts from within the EU28 (up 15.1% to €9,371 million), as receipts from outside the EU28 dropped by 10.6% to €4,182 million. In particular, receipts from euro area residents increased by 11.1% to €5,986 million and receipts from residents of non-euro area EU28 countries rose by 22.9% to €3,386 million. Specifically, receipts from Germany rose by 13.9% to €2,247 million and those from France by 6.6% to €1,197 million. Receipts from the United Kingdom also increased by 31.0% to €2,015 million. Turning to non-EU28 countries, receipts from Russia fell by 63.7% to €418 million, while receipts from the United States increased by 45.1% to €935 million.
Inbound traveller flows (1)
The number of inbound visitors in November 2015 fell by 4.0% year-on-year to 642 thousand. This development mainly reflected a 17.6% decrease in arrivals from within the EU28, as arrivals from outside the EU28 rose by 20.9%. In greater detail, arrivals from the euro area remained relatively unchanged at 147 thousand, whereas arrivals from the non-euro area EU28 countries dropped by 26.7% (November 2015: 209 thousand, November 2014: 286 thousand). Specifically, arrivals from Germany rose by 8.6% to 47 thousand and those from France by 53.8% to 18 thousand. Arrivals from the United Kingdom also rose, by 33.8% to 53 thousand. Turning to non-EU28 countries, arrivals from Russia fell by 10.3% to 9 thousand, while arrivals from the United States rose by 22.8% to 22 thousand.
The number of inbound visitors in January-November 2015 increased by 7.5% to 23,112 thousand (January-November 2014: 21,496 thousand). In the period under review, arrivals from within the EU28 rose by 14.3% year-on-year to 14,772 thousand, while arrivals from outside the EU28 dropped by 2.7% to 8,339 thousand. Arrivals from the euro area rose by 10.0% and those from the non-euro area EU28 countries by 19.9%. More specifically, arrivals from Germany and France increased by 14.2% and 3.9% to 2,780 thousand and 1,509 thousand, respectively, while arrivals from the United Kingdom rose by 14.6% to 2,370 thousand. Finally, turning to non-EU28 countries, arrivals from Russia fell by 59.5% to 504 thousand, while those from the United States increased by 26.3% to 731 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 – November 2015_Table