Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that there were 200 travel agencies operating in 2020, a decrease of 18 year-on-year. Number of persons engaged dropped by 931 year-on-year to 3,743. Receipts and expenditure of the industry amounted to MOP 2.01 billion and MOP 2.18 billion respectively, representing a shrinkage of 75.7% and 72.0% year-on-year.

Receipts of travel agencies from Room Reservation Services (MOP 574 million), Package Tours (MOP 334 million) and Passenger Transport Ticketing (MOP 329 million) slumped by 77.9%, 84.6% and 78.1% year-on-year respectively, as numbers of package tour visitors and outbound residents plunged by more than 90.0% amid the pandemic of novel coronavirus pneumonia. Besides, receipts from Rental of Coaches with Driver (MOP 472 million) recorded a fall of 64.5% year-on-year.

As regards expenditure, Purchase of Goods & Services and Commission sank by 80.1% year-on-year to MOP 1.20 billion, of which expenditure on Room Reservation Services (MOP 551 million), Passenger Transport Ticketing (MOP 350 million) and Package Tours (MOP 219 million) tumbled by 77.7%, 75.9% and 87.4% respectively. Compensation of Employees totalled MOP 553 million, down by 35.5% year-on-year. Operating Expenses fell by 52.4% year-on-year to MOP 426 million, of which rents of vehicles (MOP 153 million), rents of establishments (MOP 59.99 million) and fuel expenses (MOP 52.77 million) slid by 65.7%, 20.6% and 64.6% respectively.

The industry registered a deficit of MOP 185 million. Gross Value Added that measures the sectoral contribution to the economy tumbled by 73.0% year-on-year to MOP 368 million. Meanwhile, Gross Fixed Capital Formation declined by 87.2% year-on-year to MOP 24.05 million on account of a reduction in purchase of vehicles by travel agencies.

Analysed by size of travel agency, establishments with less than 10 persons engaged increased by 8 year-on-year to 107 attributable to the downsizing of some travel agencies amid the pandemic, and the proportion of these travel agencies in the industry rose from 45.4% in 2019 to 53.5% in 2020. Their receipts amounted to MOP 344 million, which were mainly generated from Passenger Transport Ticketing (32.9% of total) and Package Tours (28.9%). Meanwhile, travel agencies with 50 or more persons engaged decreased by 7 year-on-year to 12, and their proportion in the total dropped from 8.7% in 2019 to 6.0%. Receipts of these travel agencies totalled MOP 758 million, of which Rental of Coaches with Driver accounted for 45.0%.