Business leaders optimistic about local tourism in 2026

Tourism and catering leaders expressed optimism yesterday about Macau’s 2026 economic prospects, citing a record 188,000 New Year’s Day visitors and successful discount campaigns, while advising improvements in infrastructure and digital integration to boost spending.

The forum, broadcast on TDM’s Chinese-language radio station, gathered three industry representatives to discuss the 2026 outlook and review business activity from the prior year.

Dine-in discounts drive 20%-40% sales gains

Experts praised the three-day “Celebrating the Return: Dine-in Discount” campaign from Dec. 20–22, jointly organized by the Economic and Technological Development Bureau, the Macao Catering Industry Association, and the Industry and Commerce Association of Macau.

The promotion offered 30% off at over 500 restaurants to mark the handover’s 26th anniversary.

Lei Iam Leong, president of the Macao Catering Industry Association, called the initiative “highly effective,” reporting 20%-40% sales growth for participating businesses. He suggested reviewing payment methods and holiday no-service-charge rules, which can squeeze profit margins, and emphasized that businesses “should weigh their own operating conditions before participating.”

Lei also noted the growing role of digital tools in promoting local businesses. He said restaurant owners who utilized livestreams and short videos in 2025 saw growth, aligning with government digitalization initiatives and driving industry evolution. “Our business owners are directly appearing on camera to introduce their restaurants,” he explained.

Beyond digital promotion, Lei proposed outdoor tea stalls to attract diners seeking sunny seating, pet-friendly areas, and relaxed smoking zones.

He also recommended tailored menus – soy milk for breakfast, cakes and coffee in the afternoon, hot pot at night – along with extended hours past 9 p.m.

“If a customer places their last order around 8 p.m. but can only sit for half an hour, the experience is not very good,” Lei said.

“If we could extend the hours by an hour or more, allowing customers to finish their meal, the experience would definitely be better.”

Holiday rush and recovery statistics

Paul Wong, president of the Macau Leisure Tourism Services Innovation Association, highlighted the surge in visitors over the Christmas and New Year holidays. “December is the peak tourist season, and the recent Christmas and New Year’s holidays saw a surge in visitors to Macau,” Wong said.

He added that inbound tourists on New Year’s Day hit a record high, giving the year a strong start.

Wong noted a breakthrough in monthly arrivals, crossing the psychologically important 4 million mark. Lei echoed this, saying, “There’s a relatively long holiday in December, and we saw a breakthrough in tourist arrivals. This number is a psychological threshold; when would we break 4 million? We finally saw that number, which is psychologically encouraging.”

Lei also explained, “While the number of tourists has increased, a significant number of local residents also traveled during the long holiday. This means that in December, some areas saw relatively low visitor numbers, while others were relatively quiet.”

Looking to 2026, Wong emphasized the need for industry alignment with government policies. “The government has made many preparations, including in digitalization and tourism promotion. As a community organization and our small and medium-sized enterprises, we will work together to participate in and promote related promotions and city events,” he said.

Hengqin synergies

Wong Iok Fa, supervisory board member of the Macau Regional Economic Research Association, highlighted the industry’s recovery. In 2025, tourism rebounded to 40 million visitors, with per-tourist non-entertainment spending near MOP2,000, totaling nearly MOP19 million.

He also highlighted cross-border synergies with Hengqin, where firms maintain front-end sales in Macau but move back-office operations to the mainland.

“There are two advantages: first, they no longer need to deal with certain legal issues; second, if they need to meet with manufacturers, producers, or partners in China, they don’t need to ask them to come to Macau,” he said.

“Moreover, there is sufficient policy support. Initially, not everyone immediately experienced the benefits of these policies, but as time goes on and these positioning becomes clearer, approaches have gradually changed,” prompting business associations to adapt, he added.