Macau has resumed to normal, after nearly three years under restrictive measures due to the pandemic, borders are now open for all travelers, with testing measures eliminated for all arriving from mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Macau is expecting a surge in Chinese tourists during the Chinese New Year holiday, after COVID prevention measures were dropped and the zero-COVID policy abandoned after nearly three years. This comes as Macau finally received authorization to allow tour groups in from mainland China.

Operators in Asian gaming jurisdictions need to prepare themselves, as Chinese outbound tourism is expected to rebound this year, finally. However, trends are shifting significantly, as a younger demographic is choosing to travel by themselves.

Brokerage CLSA predicts that Macau's gross gaming revenue (GGR) in May could grow by 6 percent month-on-month, amounting to $2.45 billion.

Investment bank Citigroup anticipates that Macau’s gross gaming revenue (GGR) in May could reach MOP20 billion ($2.49 billion), about 77 percent of 2019 levels.

New visa policy changes for mainland Chinese visitors to Macau will be ‘marginally beneficial in the short-term’ and the ‘sentiment around the Chinese government with respect to Macau is certainly positive’, notes analyst Vitaly Umanski.

New moves to relax visa requirements for mainland Chinese visitors to Macau is seen as a ‘positive signal’ by analysts, signalling China’s ongoing support for Macau’s economic development, to the possible detriment of other regions.

A new multi-entry visa for Chinese nationals on package tours is set to be implemented for travel between Macau and neighboring Hengqin on May 6th, allowing more fluid tourism passage between the regions.

Hong Kong may continue to serve as one of Macau’s leading source markets, despite undergoing continuous reshaping of its consumer market, with minimal impacts on GGR.

Analysis conducted on 28 hotels across Macau suggests that both Average Daily Rates (ADR) and occupancy rates are anticipated to be notably lower during the upcoming Labor Day holidays when compared to the 2024 Chinese New Year (CNY) holiday and the May Golden Week in 2019.