Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that a total of 256 travel agencies were operating in 2016, an increase of 6 over 2015. Despite the increase in number of establishments, total number of persons engaged decreased by 239 to 4,246. Receipts and expenditure of the travel agencies amounted to MOP 6.53 billion and MOP 6.30 billion respectively, up slightly by 0.5% and 0.9% year-on-year. Gross Value Added that measures the sectoral contribution to the economy dropped by 1.0% year-on-year to MOP 944 million, and Gross Fixed Capital Formation fell by 11.4% to MOP 142 million.
Among the various items of receipts, those generated from Package Tours (MOP 2.00 billion), Room Reservations (MOP 1.12 billion) and Rental of Coaches with Driver (MOP 977 million) rose by 2.5%, 2.0% and 15.6% respectively year-on-year. Owing to the growing popularity of online ticket booking (including air, ferry, train,and bus tickets, etc.) through other travel websites, receipts from Passenger Transport Ticketing (MOP 1.78 billion) registered continuous decline, down by 6.2% year-on-year, yet less than the decrease of 18.1% in 2015.
Purchase of Goods & Services and Commission Paid accounted for a significant share (75.0%) of expenditure, decreasing by 1.6% year-on-year to MOP 4.73 billion, with expenditure on Passenger Transport Ticketing (MOP 1.78 billion) dropping by 6.4%, while that on Package Tours (MOP 1.54 billion) and Room Reservations (MOP 1.13 billion) rising by 1.0% and 1.7% respectively. On the other hand, Operating Expenses (MOP 858 million) and Compensation of Employees (MOP 716 million) went up by 15.3% and 2.9% respectively year-on-year.
With a decrease in number of visitors on package tours, as well as fewer outbound residents using services of travel agencies, receipts of the 16 travel agencies with 50 or more persons engaged slid by 7.4% year-on-year to MOP 2.24 billion, of which receipts from Rental of Coaches with Driver (MOP 712 million) rose by 10.3% whereas those from Package Tours (MOP 600 million) and Room Reservations (MOP 390 million) dropped by 16.9% and 8.2% respectively. Meanwhile, expenditure of these 16 travel agencies amounted to MOP 2.07 billion, down by 4.7% year-on-year, with Purchase of Goods & Services and Commission Paid shrinking by 13.8% to MOP 1.18 billion.
On the other hand, receipts of the 138 travel agencies with less than 10 persons engaged rose by 19.6% year-on-year to MOP 1.50 billion, half of which (MOP 752 million) were generated from Passenger Transport Ticketing, up by 9.1%. Moreover, expenditure grew by 19.1% to MOP 1.52 billion, with Purchase of Goods & Services and Commission Paid constituting 88.0%.
As the growth in expenditure slightly outpaced that in receipts, Gross Surplus of the travel agencies went down by 11.4% year-on-year to MOP 229 million. Gross Surplus Ratio also dropped by 0.5 percentage points to 3.5%. Meanwhile, Gross Fixed Capital Formation fell by 11.4% year-on-year to MOP 142 million, owing to sales of shops exceeding purchases, as well as a reduction in acquisition of machinery & equipment and other fixed assets in 2016.