Hotel occupancy in Q3 dips 25% y-o-y

The average occupancy rate of hotel guest rooms decreased 12.9 percentage points year-on-year to 37.5% in the first three quarters of this year.

The number of guests dipped 25.5% year-on-year to 3,754,000, while their average length of stay increased by 0.1 nights to 1.9 nights.

According to the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC), the occupancy rate of guest rooms in September dropped 11.9 percentage points year-on-year to 37.6%, with the rate for 4-star hotels falling 21.5 percentage points.

The number of guests of hotel establishments in September went down by 16.4% year-on-year to 440,000; the number of mainland guests (333,000) fell 20.3%, while local guests (80,000) rose 1.2%. 

Visitors joining local tours in September leapt by 366.4% year-on-year to 3,600, albeit from a low base.

In the first three quarters of this year, local tour visitor numbers declined 31.4% year-on-year to 24,000, while Macau residents purchasing outbound services through travel agencies plunged 78.1% to 28,000.

The tourism and hotel sector is currently waiting on group travel packages that will recommence early November.

Some travel agencies in China have unveiled Macau’s travel packages in advance, which show the earliest departure date is November 13.

There will be a limit in the number of people participating in each tour. Tour guides must take Covid-19 nucleic acid tests (NATs) once every seven days and both staff and participants must complete a 10-day travel history declaration.  LV