Total visitor arrivals to Macau grew by 270 percent year-on-year in April to 2,274,050, according to the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC). The figure also rose 16.2 percent compared to March.
It is the fourth month in which tourism numbers have passed 1 million since the pandemic forced the city to close its borders in 2020.
The surge in visitor arrivals was boosted by the easing of entry restrictions and the resumption of air and land connections.
Visitor numbers from the Chinese mainland, the key source market, increased by early 160 percent to 1,386,944. Of that number, 817,730 traveled under the Individual Visit Scheme, an increase of 590 percent from the same period in 2022.
In general, the growth of foreign tourists was significant in April, as Macau received more than 108,000 visitors from overseas (excluding Taiwan and Hong Kong). The figure was up 65 percent compared to March. According to statistical data from Macau’s immigration service, the Philippines is ranked as the number one source for the international market. In April, Macau welcomed nearly 30,000 tourists from the Philippines, 14,792 from Indonesia, 8,095 from South Korea, 7,353 from Thailand, and 6,153 from the United States.
Less per-capita spending in 1Q23
Total spending of visitors (excluding gaming expenses) surged by 127.1 percent year-on-year to MOP14.98 billion ($1.86 billion) in the first quarter of 2023, whereas per-capita spending of visitors dropped by 13.9 percent to MOP3,027 ($376).
According to DSEC’s sum-up for the Macau tourism market in 1Q23, Macau had 4,948,358 visitor arrivals, representing a year-on-year increase of 164 percent; meanwhile, the average length of stay of visitors remained at 1.3 days. The number of inbound package tour visitors reached 112,070.
At the end of the quarter, the 126 hotel establishments offering accommodation services to the public provided a total of 38,995 guest rooms. The average occupancy rate of guest rooms increased by 34.1 percentage points year-on-year to 75 percent. Guests totaled 2,705,380, up by 97 percent yearly.
