The latest data from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) reveal a mixed performance for Macau’s tourism sector in July. While visitor arrivals continued to increase, the number of hotel guests declined, indicating challenges in the sector’s recovery.
In July 2024, the number of guests at Macau’s hotel establishments decreased by 5.9 percent year-on-year, totaling 1,227,000 guests. This figure corresponds to 98.0 percent of the guest numbers recorded in July 2019, suggesting that the hotel industry is still struggling to return to its pre-pandemic levels.
According to data released two weeks ago, Macau’s visitor arrivals increased by 9.5 percent year-on-year to 3,021,189 in July 2024.
By the end of July, there were 144 hotel establishments in Macau, an increase of 12 year-on-year. The total number of available guest rooms rose by 1.8 percent to 45,000.
However, the average occupancy rate of guest rooms dropped slightly by 1 percentage point year-on-year, standing at 88.4 percent in July. This decrease was more pronounced in four-star hotels, where the occupancy rate fell by 6.1 percentage points. Conversely, three-star hotels experienced a 5.6 percentage point increase in their occupancy rate.
The average length of stay for hotel guests in July 2024 remained stable at 1.6 nights, showing a minor increase of 0.2 nights compared to July 2019.
Tour group numbers surge in July
July 2024 saw a notable surge in the number of inbound package tour visitors to Macau. According to the DSEC, the total number of these visitors increased by 66.1 percent year-on-year, reaching 188,000. This growth was primarily driven by visitors from mainland China, whose numbers rose by 68.9 percent to 171,000.
International tour visitors also contributed to this growth, increasing by 30.5 percent to 13,000. South Korea and India were particularly strong source markets, with visitor numbers from these countries rising by 152.8 percent and 712.5 percent, respectively.
