Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that Receipts of travel agencies amounted to MOP 6.50 billion in 2015, down by 10.6% year-on-year. Receipts from Package Tours (MOP 1.96 billion) increased by 7.6%, while receipts from Passenger Transport Ticketing (MOP 1.90 billion) and Room Reservations (MOP 1.09 billion) decreased by 17.9% and 31.6% respectively owing to the growing popularity of online booking for hotel rooms, air tickets, etc., thus resulting in a year-on-year decline in Receipts of the industry. A total of 250 travel agencies were operating in 2015, an increase of 13 year-on-year. Number of persons engaged rose by 343 year-on-year to 4,545, of which drivers (1,404) accounted for 30.9%. Analysed by number of persons engaged, receipts of large travel agencies with 50 or more persons came mainly from Package Tours (MOP 723 million) and Rental of Coaches with Driver (MOP 645 million), up by 20.1% and 8.6% respectively year-on-year; however, as receipts from Room Reservations (MOP 425 million) and Passenger Transport Ticketing (MOP 211 million) dropped significantly by 30.2% and 21.7%, receipts of this type of travel agencies (MOP 2.42 billion) shrank by 4.9% year-on-year. Meanwhile, receipts of small travel agencies with less than 10 persons were generated primarily from Passenger Transport Ticketing (MOP 692 million), up by 26.5% year-on-year; yet, receipts of these travel agencies dropped slightly by 0.9% to MOP 1.25 billion due to the declines in receipts from Package Tours (MOP 242 million) and Room Reservations (MOP 208 million). Expenditure of travel agencies amounted to MOP 6.21 billion, down by 9.5% year-on-year. Purchase of Goods & Services and Commission Paid decreased by 13.9% to MOP 4.76 billion (76.7% of total), while Operating Expenses (MOP 749 million) and Compensation of Employees (MOP 699 million) increased by 7.1% and 10.8% respectively. Expenditure of the large travel agencies (with 50 or more persons engaged) dropped by 6.2% year-on-year to MOP 2.13 billion, of which Purchase of Goods & Services and Commission Paid (62.1% of total) shrank by 14.9% to MOP 1.32 billion. Expenditure of the small travel agencies (with less than 10 persons engaged) grew by 2.5% year-on-year to MOP 1.27 billion, with Purchase of Goods & Services and Commission Paid (88.8% of total) rising by 2.7% to MOP 1.13 billion. Gross Value Added that measures the sectoral contribution to the economy amounted to MOP 1.00 billion, down by 4.8% year-on-year. Gross Surplus of travel agencies decreased by 28.5% year-on-year to MOP 297 million, while Gross Surplus Ratio dropped by 1.1 percentage points to 4.6%. Meanwhile, Gross Fixed Capital Formation decreased by 35.1% to MOP 157 million owing to a decrease in acquisition of shops.
