Number of overseas and Taiwan tourists is still low in Macau, says Tourism Office

The number of overseas and Taiwan tourists visiting Macau is still not up to expectations, says Macau’s tourism bureau. Despite this, Macau recovered to 62 percent of pre-pandemic levels regarding visitor arrivals during the Labor Day Holiday period.

Speaking to local media, the Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) director, Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, notes that Macau recorded an average of 4,000 daily overseas visitors during Labor Day Golden Week, and that the number has since dropped to 2,600 to 2,900 daily.

Generally speaking, Fernandes reveals that Macau has been welcoming over 60,000 visitors daily this month, with visitor numbers increasing to 80,000 on weekends.  

As the flight routes between Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand are recovering quickly, MGTO plans to focus on these markets in its advertising programs. At the same time, MGTO will resume its campaign of ‘Macau Week’ in Chinese cities in the upcoming months. The first program includes Qingdao, Tianjin and Xiamen. Overseas roadshows and promotions will take place during the second half of the year.

MGTO announced on Monday that is has inked a collaboration with Malaysian low-cost carrier AirAsia and South-Korean low-cost carrier Jin Air to launch thousands of ticket discounts during May and June. This is in response to Jin Air’s recent announcement that it would resume flights to Macau by July, to boost foreign tourist numbers. Fernandes also said MGTO will cooperate with every other airline intending to resume flights to and from Macau. 

In other tourism news, MGTO announced on Tuesday that it would resume the International Fireworks Display Contest this year with ten teams to compete. 

Early this year, the Macau government announced an offer to distribute 120,000 free air tickets, in partnership with airlines. The deputy director of MGTO said the office had set aside a massive MOP650 million ($80.6 million) budget this year to revive the city’s tourism industry, with MOP118 million ($15 million) set aside for its subsidy program for group tours, including those from mainland China, Taiwan and for foreign visitors.