Macau emerges as the top tourist destination for Chinese mainland travelers

Macau has secured the top spot for outbound travel satisfaction among Chinese tourists in 2024, ahead of Singapore, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Spain, Hong Kong, France, Australia, Malaysia, and Argentina, according to the China Tourism Academy (CTA).

The CTA, a professional research institution under the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, focuses on tourism policy, cultural and tourism integration, and statistical analysis.

On Thursday, it released the annual report on the “Top 10 Destinations for Chinese Outbound Tourist Satisfaction.”

The CTA’s satisfaction survey of mainland Chinese outbound tourists reveals that Macau has risen from third place last year to claim the top spot, thanks to its exceptional performance in multiple categories. It received particularly high praise for “entertainment and leisure” and the “attitude of local residents.”

According to mainland Chinese media reports, the 2024 data was gathered by the research team from 40,000 pieces of market research across 27 major outbound destinations.

This included offline airport interviews, online surveys, text message surveys, and other channels, as well as hundreds of thousands of tourist evaluations from 102 countries and regions.

The survey findings indicate that East Asia, Southeast Asia, and Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan are the key destinations for short-haul travel.

Among these, Japan is the top foreign destination for Chinese tourists, while Russia and Australia lead as the top long-haul destinations among EU countries.

The president of the CTA, Dai Bin, reportedly stated that this year’s top 10 destinations share common characteristics, including cultural experiences, shopping and leisure activities, and friendly residents. They also emphasize digital travel, unique cuisine, and opportunities for local participation.

Macau, which topped the rankings, announced its outstanding results last week through a press release from the Macau Government Tourism Office (MGTO).

The release highlighted achievements and pledged to “continue leveraging central government policies and measures benefiting Macau.”

“To capitalize on the city’s unique advantages, [the MGTO will continue] collaborating with the industry to strengthen cross-border integration of ‘tourism+’ initiatives, host major events, and promote community tourism,” it further stated.

According to the MGTO statement, the plan includes enhancing Macau’s image as a courteous city, improving service quality, enriching the visitor experience, expanding diverse visitor sources, and aligning with the city’s appropriate economic diversification goals.

MGTO Director Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes stated on Saturday, following the release of the CTA survey, that the increase in visitor arrivals is likely linked to the “Macau Courtesy Campaign” launched by the authorities post-pandemic.

She believes that the campaign encourages all sectors of society to extend courtesy to visitors, promote Macau’s image as a courteous city, and position it as a preferred destination for leisure and tourism.

Last year, Macau welcomed a total of 34,928,650 visitors, marking a year-on-year increase of 23.8%. The number of non-overnight visitors reached 18,884,882, up by 35%, while overnight visitors totaled 16,043,768, increasing by 12.8%.

Among these, visitors from mainland China grew by 28.6% to 24,491,424, with individual travelers accounting for 12,281,055, a rise of 15.5%. Additionally, the number of visitors entering via group tours was 17,078.

In May this year, Macau recorded 3,372,081 visitor arrivals, a 25.3% year-on-year increase. The average length of stay per passenger was 1.1 days, which is down by 0.1 days from the previous year.

According to data from the Statistics and Census Bureau (DSEC), the number of mainland Chinese visitors rose by 31.4% year-on-year to 2,439,936.

As reported by public broadcaster TDM, Zhou Yongguang, deputy director of the Academy of Tourism and Leisure at Zhejiang University, spoke in Macau about the recent shift in China’s tourism industry.

He noted that it has moved from traditional tourism to a model integrating “tourism+” elements, such as cultural tourism, ecological tourism, and in-depth tours. These trends are particularly appealing to younger demographics.

Zhou suggested that Macau could draw inspiration from mainland models and pursue a complementary development strategy with Hengqin.

For example, Macau could integrate Hengqin’s rural towns and natural landscapes to create innovative tourism products that provide visitors with greater opportunities for engagement.