August visitor arrivals rise 6%, hotel occupancy hits 60–70%

[Photo: Yuki Lei]

Macau’s August visitor arrivals rose 6.1% year-on-year, buoyed by stronger same-day visitor numbers even as overnight and international arrivals fell, while hoteliers report 60 to 70% average occupancy ahead of the Mid-Autumn and National Day holidays, with most reservations for two nights or more.

Visitor arrivals to Macau rose 6.1% year-on-year last month to about 4.48 million, Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) data showed. Same-day visitors jumped 11.7% to roughly 2.85 million, while overnight visitors fell 2.4% to about 1.63 million, with the average length of stay slipping by 0.1 day to 1.0 day.

Mainland visitors rose 9.3% to some 3.56 million, with individual travelers up 12.7%; visitors from the Taiwan region rose 13.7%, while Hong Kong arrivals fell 5.6%. International arrivals dropped 9.8% to about 172,000, dragged down by declines across most markets, including the Philippines, Indonesia, India, South Korea and Japan, though Malaysia posted slight growth.

For the first eight months, total arrivals reached about 28.96 million, up 7.7%, with international visitors rising 3.4% to roughly 1.77 million.

According to the bureau, by source market, mainland Chinese visitors rose 9.3% year-on-year to about 3.56 million in August, with individual travelers up 12.7% to roughly 2.02 million. Visitors from the Taiwan region increased 13.7% to about 101,000, while those from Hong Kong declined 5.6% to some 643,000.

In Southeast Asia, Filipino visitors fell 18.5% to about 31,000 and Indonesian visitors dropped 16.9% to roughly 11,000, while Malaysian visitors rose 2.1% to about 8,000. Indian visitors from South Asia declined 17.6% to some 6,400, while South Korean and Japanese visitors from Northeast Asia fell 12.6% and 31.1%, respectively, to about 31,000 and 11,000. Among long-haul markets, United States visitors slipped 0.4% year-on-year to roughly 12,000.

In remarks to Macao Daily News, Cheung Kin Chong, president of the Macau Hoteliers and Innkeepers Association and a board director of the Association of Macao Tourist Agents, said daily visitor arrivals during the three-day Mid-Autumn Festival holiday running from Friday to Sunday are projected to increase by roughly 10 to 20% compared with ordinary days, amounting to some 110,000 to 120,000 arrivals per day, with travel demand set to continue rising as the National Day Golden Week follows immediately afterward.

According to the report, booking rates at traditional hotels in the ZAPE district have already approached 80%, with most guests booking stays of two to three nights – longer than in the past. As the holidays draw nearer, Cheung expects booking figures to rise further, with October 1 to 5 likely to be the busiest period for hotel stays.

Noting that the National Day holiday is relatively long, he said most bookings cover stays of more than two days, with average hotel booking rates having reached 60 to 70%. Recalling last year’s National Day holiday, when overall hotel occupancy exceeded 80%, he estimated this year’s figures would be higher.

On room rates, Cheung said the industry attaches great importance to price management and value for money during holidays, with a high level of self-discipline and a strong focus on quality and pricing. He said current holiday pricing is broadly in line with the same period in 2019, with three- and four-star hotels charging roughly MOP1,000 to MOP2,000, and large luxury integrated resorts charging MOP2,500 or more.

The industry insider attributed the ability to keep rates at reasonable levels to two factors: the recent opening of new hotels in Macau, which has increased market supply, and a consensus within the industry to absorb part of the cost pressure through internal efficiency measures, avoiding sharp price fluctuations and ensuring visitors enjoy better value for money.