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During the National Golden Week, Macau welcomed a total of 1,144,401 visitors over the course of eight public holiday days, maintaining the momentum of its tourism rebound. Initial statistics released by the Macao SAR Government’s Public Security Police show a whopping total arrival figure of approximately 143,000 throughout the period of celebration.
On the last day, October 8, the total mainland Chinese travelers were 88,993, after a consistent inflow of 1,055,408 over the previous seven days. During the first phase of the holiday, Macau saw daily averages of about 150,772 tourist arrivals, which is an increase of 7.4 percent compared to the seven-day Golden Week this year.
Recent Arrivals Set Records on Peak Days
The highest one-day visit traffic was on Saturday, October 4, as 191,132 people entered, which shows an impressive 18.1 percent year-on-year increase, breaking the record during the National Day holiday. The day before also witnessed high volumes with 181,942 arrivals, a 5.6 percent year-on-year increase.
However, the strong momentum was disrupted on Sunday, October 5, because of the passage of Typhoon Matmo across the region. A No. 8 typhoon warning was already posted that morning and downgraded only mid-afternoon, causing suspension of border crossings for much of the day. This cut visitor arrivals to 112,996, a drop of 24.4 percent from the same day last year.
Tourist Numbers Bounce Back Midweek
In the aftermath of the typhoon, the holiday for the Mid-Autumn Festival, Monday, October 6, reported arrivals to 128,846 tourists arriving in Macau, a 5.6 percent year-on-year increase. The increasing trend continued on Tuesday with 136,780 arrivals, which was a strong 82.5 percent year-on-year increase.
While all these were encouraging signs, overall, the daily average dipped short of expectation by failing to reach the target 150,000 daily visitors mark.
Macau’s Resilience and Tourism Outlook
Figures for Golden Week this year placed Macau’s continued popularity and capacity to welcome massive volumes of visitors into perspective, even against the context of tough weather. The October 4th record day indicates the prospect for more tourist expansion as travel protocols are relaxed and regional connectivity strengthens.
Macau keeps itself in high gear for a strong tourism season with an extensive events calendar and growing hospitality capacity, further positioning itself as a major destination in the region.
Macau’s Tourism Recovery Remains Strong
Macau National Day Golden Week festive holiday recorded a strong number of arrivals, exceeding over 1.44 million visitors and setting a new one-day high record in spite of unfavorable weather. The recovering trend indicates improved demand and confidence for tourists supported by eased travel restrictions and revamped promotion efforts.
In the short term, Macau’s capacity to absorb and take in huge tourist volumes continues to be at the center stage of its economic recovery. The holiday period provides reason to believe that Macau’s tourist sector will continue to report encouraging results for the remainder of the year.
Source: Inside Asian Gaming (IAG)
