Marginal turnover growth in hotels and restaurants sector

• Only restaurants realise turnover growth
• Pubs face substantial turnover loss
• Volume over entire year 2012 down

In the fourth quarter of 2012, the sector hotels and restaurants achieved 0.6 percent turnover growth relative to the same period in 2011. The latest figures published by Statistics Netherlands show that higher prices account for the turnover growth. Turnover volume shrank by 1.3 percent.

With a turnover growth by 2.9 percent and a volume growth by 1.1 percent, restaurants performed better than other branches within the sector hotels and restaurants. Restaurant prices were raised by an average of 1.8 percent.

Pubs and wine bars faced the most substantial turnover loss. Turnover and volume were respectively 1.2 percent and nearly 4 percent down from the fourth quarter of 2011. Food and drink prices in pubs and wine bars were raised by an average of 3 percent, partly due to the higher VAT rate effective since 1 October 2012. Within the sector hotels and restaurants, pubs showed the highest price increases.

The volume of sales in the sector hotels and restaurants fell by 0.3 percent in 2012. The first quarter still showed a growth by nearly 2 percent, but from the second quarter onwards volume growth has been negative. If the entire year 2012 is taken into account, turnover growth was 1.5 percent.