Survey | Travel agencies cash in less money

The revenue of local travel agencies amounted to MOP6.50 billion in 2015, down by 10.6 percent year-on-year. Revenues from package tours (MOP1.96 billion) increased by 7.6 percent, while receipts from passenger transport ticketing (MOP1.90 billion) and room reservations (MOP1.09 billion) decreased by 17.9 percent and 31.6 percent respectively.
The Statistics and Census Service’s 2015 travel agencies survey published yesterday the, had indicated that a total of 250 travel agencies were operating in 2015, an increase of 13 year-on-year. The number of people engaged in the industry rose by 343 year-
on-year to 4,545, of which 1, 404 were drivers.
Analyzed by the number of people engaged, receipts of larger travel agencies (with 50 or more people) came mainly from package tours (MOP723 million) and the rental of coaches with a driver (MOP 645 million), up by 20.1 percent and 8.6 percent year-
on-year respectively.
Revenues of small travel agencies with less than 10 people were generated primarily from passenger transport ticketing (MOP 692 million), up by 26.5 percent year-on-year.
Expenditure of travel agencies amounted to MOP6.21 billion, down by 9.5 percent year-on-year. According to DSEC, Gross Value Added that measures the sector contribution to the economy amounted to MOP 1.00 billion, down by 4.8 percent year-on-
year.