GP, National Games to likely boost occupancy to 90%

The director of the Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO), Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, said that the November events, including the Grand Prix (GP) and the National Games, are expected to increase hotel occupancy to 90%.

Senna Fernandes’ comments were made on the sidelines of the GP’s Pai San ceremony.
She anticipates that hotel occupancy rates during the GP will reach 90% or higher, similar to previous years, and hopes the industry can capitalize on the GP as well as the National Games to boost the local economy.

Commenting on the forecast for visitor arrivals for the year, she noted that the annual tourist arrival target of 38–39 million is expected to be reached, citing the series of events scheduled later in the year as a contributing factor.

Regarding the drop in visitors traveling in tour groups in the first three quarters of this year (likely around 8%), Senna Fernandes attributed this to “changes in travel patterns,” noting that operators need to consider launching more themed and customized tourism products to attract visitors.

90% of GP Tickets Sold
At the same event, the Acting Vice President of the Sports Bureau, Lei Si Leng, told the media that GP ticket sales are high, with over 90% already sold.

Lei noted that not all tickets can be sold in advance, as some are reserved for sale on race day, hinting that if they could be pre-sold, they likely would already be sold out.

Asked by the media, Lei stated that authorities are strengthening supervision over GP ticket resales and that tickets have been enhanced with additional anti-counterfeiting features.
As for the circuit preparations, she said they are nearly complete, with full completion expected in the coming days.

She added that the GP occurring concurrently with the National Games should not cause additional traffic pressure, as National Games events are mainly concentrated in Cotai.

Lei noted that even if minor inconveniences occur for the public, the events’ overall economic and social impact is overwhelmingly positive.