Developments in the balance of travel services: November 2018

22/01/2019 - Press Releases

Balance of travel services

Based on provisional data, the balance of travel services in November 2018 showed a surplus of €175 million, compared with a surplus of €101 million in November 2017. More specifically, travel receipts in November 2018 rose by 42.4% to €326 million, from €229 million in November 2017, whereas travel payments also increased by 18.0% (November 2018: €151 million, November 2017: €128 million). The rise in travel receipts is attributed to a 6.2% increase in inbound traveller flows, as well as to a rise of 35.8% or €106 in average expenditure per trip. Net receipts from travel services accounted for 25.9% of total net receipts from services and offset 10.3% of the goods deficit.

In January-November 2018, the balance of travel services showed a surplus of €13,930 million, up from a surplus of €12,700 million in the same period of 2017. This development is attributed to an increase, by 9.7% or €1,407 million, in travel receipts, which were only partly offset by travel payments, up by 10.2% or €177 million. The rise in travel receipts reflected a 10.6% increase in inbound traveller flows, as average expenditure per trip fell slightly, by €3 or 0.5%. Net receipts from travel services accounted for 73.9% of total net receipts from services and offset 67.4% of the goods deficit.

Travel receipts

In November 2018, as mentioned previously, travel receipts increased by 42.4% year-on-year. In more detail, receipts from residents of the EU28 rose by 26.7% to €175 million and receipts from outside the EU28 rose by 74.0% (November 2018: €141 million, November 2017: €81 million). The higher receipts from within the EU28 were due to increases in receipts from euro area residents by 35.9% to €117 million and in receipts from residents of non-euro area EU28 countries by 11.2% to €57 million (November 2017: €52 million). Among major countries of origin, receipts from Germany rose by 2.5% to €36 million and receipts from France rose by 185.7% to €16 million. Receipts from the United Kingdom also increased, by 16.2% to €25 million. Turning to non-EU28 countries, receipts from Russia fell by 12.3% to €4 million, whereas receipts from the United States rose by 57.4% to €34 million.

In January-November 2018, travel receipts totalled €15,847 million, up 9.7% relative to the same period of 2017. This development was driven by a 12.0% increase in receipts from residents of the EU28, which came to €10,919 million, and by a 5.8% rise in receipts from residents outside the EU28 to €4,513 million. In particular, receipts from euro area residents increased by 13.1% year-on-year to €7,042 million, while receipts from residents of non-euro area EU28 countries rose by 10.0% to €3,878 million. Specifically, receipts from Germany rose by 16.4% to €2,949 million, while receipts from France dropped by 4.2% to €948 million. Receipts from the United Kingdom also decreased by 6.2% to €1,920 million. Turning to non-EU28 countries, receipts from Russia decreased by 20.8% to €329 million, while receipts from the United States increased by 27.2% to €1,020 million.

Inbound traveller flows (1)

The number of inbound visitors in November 2018 rose by 6.2% year-on-year to 786 thousand. Specifically, visitor flows through airports increased by 24.2%, whereas visitor flows through road border-crossing points declined by 14.8%. This increase in flows was due to higher visitor flows from outside the EU28 (up 19.5%), as visitor flows from within the EU28 declined by 1.3%. In greater detail, the number of visitors from within the euro area rose by 9.4% to 231 thousand, whereas visitors from the non-euro area EU28 countries declined by 10.0% (November 2018: 236 thousand, November 2017: 262 thousand). Specifically, the number of visitors from Germany decreased by 5.2% to 85 thousand, while visitors from France increased by 51.1% to 26 thousand. Visitors from the United Kingdom increased by 3.6% to 44 thousand. Turning to non-EU28 countries, the number of visitors from Russia rose by 23.1% to 9 thousand, while the number of visitors from the United States rose by 54.1% to 49 thousand.

In January-November 2018, the number of inbound visitors rose by 10.6% to 29,466 thousand (January-November 2017: 26,632 thousand). Specifically, visitor flows through airports increased by 13.6%, while visitor flows through road border-crossing points increased by 5.8%. In the period under review, the number of visitors from within the EU28 rose by 15.3% year-on-year to 21,078 thousand, while the number of visitors from outside the EU28 edged up by 0.5% to 8,387 thousand. Visitors from within the euro area rose by 16.2%, while visitors from the non-euro area EU28 countries increased by 14.2%. Specifically, the number of visitors from Germany increased by 18.4% to 4,343 thousand, as did the number of visitors from France, by 7.0% to 1,511 thousand. The number of visitors from the United Kingdom decreased by 1.7% to 2,909 thousand. Finally, turning to non-EU28 countries, the number of visitors from Russia fell by 13.2% to 503 thousand, whereas the number of visitors from the United States rose by 26.8% to 1,064 thousand.

Note: The next Press Release on “Developments in the balance of travel services” for December 2018 will be published on 21 February 2019.

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