A study has found that Macau is among the top 10 destinations for travelers from mainland China and Hong Kong.
According to a study by credit card group VISA, other top destinations for those travelers include Japan, South Korea, the UK, France and Canada.
The group anticipates that consumer spend will particularly cause a rebound in dining, entertainment and shopping in Macau. The news is welcome for the local government, which aims to rebrand the city from its previous gambling focus.
A VISA representative noted that the results of the survey found that Macau ‘continues to strengthen its position as the World Center of Tourism and Leisure‘, being a ‘top-of-mind travel destination’.
The group also notes that greater interconnectivity between Greater Bay Area (GBA) cities will benefit tourism, with some 70 percent of respondents from mainland China and the two SARs expressing interest in multi-destination trips within the GBA.
Some 77 percent of mainland Chinese respondents and 55 percent of Hong Kong respondents noted their interest in a trip of six or more days.
Proposed leisure travel spending is also on the rise – with some 45 percent of mainland Chinese consumers and 33 percent of Hong Kong respondents willing to set aside at least 20 percent or more of household income for leisure travel.
The study also found that expectations travelers have for tourism destinations is also changing. Throughout mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau, 44 percent of consumers placed more emphasis on cleanliness and hygiene during travel. Wellness (39 percent), shopping locally (32 percent) and once-in-a-lifetime experiences (30 percent) are also gaining considerable momentum, while conventional popular tourist activities such as luxury experiences (39 percent) and visiting remote locations (27 percent) are seeing declining interest with respondents expecting to do these less in the future.