The trade balance of goods and services remained in positive territory last year, supported by the growth of tourism. According to data released by the statistical bulletin of the Bank of Portugal, the deficit on trade in goods with the outside was 10,565 million, offset by the surplus of the services, which reached 10,946 million euros. With these data, the trade balance was positive in 381 million euros, far below 1300 million recorded in 2013.
Within the services, only two business areas rose: transport and travel and tourism, with the first to be recorded re sidual growth of 0.8%. Moreover, all other areas of business shrank last year, with emphasis on the maintenance and repair services (30%, equivalent to EUR 139 million). As for the travel and tourism rose 12.4% to 10,394 million euros (1144 million), with a net balance (ie incorporating imports) of 7076 million, an increase of 15% over 2013. No this significant growth in tourism, the trade balance would have entered into negative territory.
Adolfo Mesquita Nunes, Secretary of State for Tourism, emphasizes that “tourism has paid 80% of the trade deficit in 2014″. Or is, the country would have to borrow more than seven billion euros to balance the books. To him this is one of the “main, if not the main exporters sectors of Portugal.” The good results, he says, are the result of work in the private sector. “Who carries tourists and hosts, who serves them and sells goods and who motivates the back are the private-tourism. These are the companies and their workers largely responsible for the best tourism year ever “he said.
Last year, tourism able to increase its weight in Portuguese global exports and is now 14.6% of national foreign sales (goods and services), an increase of 1 24 percentage points compared to 2013. In services, has a weight of 45.5%.
In the hotel also reached record numbers, with overnight stays and revenues to grow 11% and 12.8 %, respectively. In total, there were 46.1 million overnight stays in hotels, inns, resorts and tourist apartments, of which 13.8 million of Portuguese tourists. It was the first time since 2011 that the annual change in overnight stays of residents was positive.
The UK remains the leading source (7.7 million overnight stays, 10.6% more than in 2013). Here are Spain, Germany and France.
No comments:
Post a Comment