Personal services, down 16pct in Romania in Q1 2021 amid declining tourism, gambling, hospitality

A decrease in personal services provided by tourist agencies and tour operators, gambling operators, hotels and restaurants in Romania led to a decrease by 16.4% in the general turnover in this sector, in Q1 2021, y-o-y, show data with the National Institute of Statistics (INS) published on Friday, agerpres reports.

January - March 2021, the decrease by 16.4% in personal services, unadjusted, reflects negative results in the activities of travel agencies and tour operators (-43. 6%), betting and gambling activities and other entertainment services (-22.5%), hotel and restaurant activities (-9.9%), and washing and (dry-)cleaning of textile and fur products (-9.2%).

On the other hand, hairdressing and other beauty treatment increased by 10.9%.

At the same time, adjusted for work days and seasonality, personal services' turnover fell by 17.3% in Q1 2021 as against Q1 2020.

Official statistics show that in March 2021 as against March 2020, personal services increased by 26.9% unadjusted, on raises in hairdressing and other beauty treatment (+ 53.1%), hotel and restaurant activities (+ 41.2%), washing and (dry-)cleaning of textile and fur products (+ 12%) and betting and gambling activities and other entertainment services (+ 5.2%) ).

On the other hand, the activities of travel agencies and tour operators shrank by 4.8%, y-o-y.

When adjusted for work days and seasonality, personal services were up of 32.8% in March 2021 over March 2020.

Unadjusted, personal services recorded in March 2021 decreased 2.4% by turnover on a monthly basis, as a result of a 25.2% drop in betting and gambling activities and other entertainment services.

During the same period, there was an increase in hairdressing and other beauty treatment (+ 10.9%), washing and (dry-)cleaning of textile and fur products (+ 8%), hotel and restaurant activities (+ 6%) and the activities of travel agencies and tour operators (+ 2.4%).

Adjusted for work days and seasonality, March 2021 personal services were up 2.4% on a monthly basis.