Macau authorities expect between 6 million and 6.21 million cross-border trips during the nine-day Chinese New Year holiday from February 15th to 23rd, with daily border movements averaging more than 670,000, according to the Public Security Police Force.
The peak is forecast for the third day of the Chinese New Year, February 19th, when about 780,000 crossings are anticipated.
The holiday period runs from February 15th to February 23rd. Officials said preparations are in place to manage the expected surge in travelers, as Macau braces for one of its busiest travel periods of the year.
According to a media briefing held on Thursday and reported by local outlets, the Public Security Police Force has implemented crowd-control measures at major border checkpoints, including deploying additional administrative staff to frontline duties and opening extra counters to enhance clearance efficiency and ease passenger flow. Emergency response plans have also been coordinated with mainland China and Hong Kong border authorities.
The Macao Government Tourism Office previously projected between 1.4 million and 1.5 million visitor arrivals over the nine-day period, averaging between 158,000 and 175,000 arrivals per day. The director described the expected influx as significant, supporting a 5 percent year-on-year increase in the Chinese New Year entertainment budget to MOP36 million ($4.48 million).
This year’s celebrations will feature a simultaneous drone and fireworks show, with performances scheduled for February 19th, February 23rd, and March 3rd.
As reported by AGB earlier this week, Citigroup forecast February gross gaming revenue (GGR) at MOP20.5 billion ($2.56 billion), representing year-on-year growth of about 4 percent. The forecast takes into account the typical slowdown ahead of the Chinese New Year travel peak, which began on February 1st. Tourism activity has remained relatively subdued nationwide, as transport volumes usually surge when large numbers of people return home during the holiday period.
