Macau is preparing for a significant increase in tourist numbers during the upcoming October Golden Week, according to Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, head of the Macau Government Tourism Office (MGTO).
Although the MGTO has not yet provided specific forecasts, Fernandes is optimistic that daily arrivals could reach around 100,000 during this period, thanks to the combined appeal of the holiday and the International Fireworks Display.
In August, Macau welcomed approximately 3.66 million visitors, reflecting a robust summer tourism season. Fernandes highlighted this strong performance and expressed enthusiasm for the anticipated peak period in October.
The October Golden Week, a major holiday in China, is expected to be a key time for visitor arrivals in Macau. This year, the International Fireworks Display will coincide with the Golden Week, likely boosting tourist numbers even further.
The MGTO reported that from July 1st to August 31st, Macau recorded nearly 6.685 million visitor arrivals, averaging about 108,000 per day. This represents a recovery to over 93 percent of the visitor numbers seen during the same period in 2019.
In August alone, daily arrivals averaged 118,000, surpassing the pre-pandemic average of 117,000 for the same month.
For international tourism, Macau saw 336,000 international visitors in July and August, which is approximately 75 percent of the figures from the same period in 2019. This steady recovery reflects growing confidence in the international travel market and contributes to the overall positive outlook for Macau’s tourism industry.
In a previous projection, investment bank CLSA noted strong early indicators for Macau, with robust forward bookings and 80 percent of tracked hotels already fully booked.
The 2024 October Golden Week, also known as China’s National Day holiday, will span seven days from October 1st to 7th, with September 29th (Sunday) and October 12th (Saturday) designated as working days.
