A total of 484,505 tourists entered Macau during the first seven days of the Lunar New Year, known as “CNY Golden Week.” Although the figure is a huge increase from last year, with almost three times as many visitor entering as to compared to when Covid-19 restrictions were fully in force, the number is only 40.31% of the visitor numbers entering Macau during the same period in 2019, which was prior to the pandemic. This year’s figures are 54% higher than those in 2020.
With the continuing increase in arrivals in the last few days, this year’s CNY Golden Week figure represents an average of 69,215 visitors per day, including results obtained on the seventh day (January 28), on which visitor numbers rose again to a total of 65,957 people, which amounts to 2,210 more than those arriving on the previous day (63,747).
As the Times reported previously, the decision to extend the usual week-long holiday to 9 days this year has contributed to increased visitor arrivals.
Tourists from the mainland have dominated the visitor source charts from the first days of the holiday, representing 58.95% of all arrivals, followed by those from Hong Kong who account for 36.42%. Visitors from other places dropped slightly from the previous days, finishing the week-long holiday with only 4.63% of arrivals.
This year, the single-day record holder since the pandemic started continues to be the third day of the Lunar New Year when Macau received 90,416 visitors.
Golden Week hotel occupancy averaged 86%
According to industry figures cited by the Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO), local hotels registered an average occupancy rate of 85.7% during the CNY Golden Week.
Although arrival figures are very high when compared year-on-year with 2022, this year’s occupancy rate represents an increase of just 22.4%, indicating that a large majority of visitors are not staying overnight in Macau.
However, given this increase and the hiking of prices for hotel rooms in Macau over this period, receipts to hotels should be significantly higher.
Figures cited by the MGTO note that during the Golden Week, the average room rate of Macau’s hotel establishments (including hotels, apartment hotels, and economical accommodation establishments) was approximately 1,575 patacas, up by almost 50% year-on-year.
As with visitor arrivals, the third day of the Lunar New Year was also the peak for the hotel occupancy rate this year, with the MGTO reporting average occupancy rate of hotels at 92.1% on this day.
The MGTO added that inspections made by the office at major ports of entry, tourist attractions, hotels and other establishments did not find any signs of irregularities.
The MGTO’s tourism hotline received a total of 14 complaints from visitors during this period, mainly about taxi services and land transportation arrangements, as well as ferry schedules, services and pricing, among other issues.
CNY celebrations extended until Feb 5
The Lunar New Year celebrations in Macau will end on February 5 with the Chinese New Year fireworks display.
The MGTO hopes that, by extending the celebrations for another week, it will continue to attract some visitors, namely from neighboring regions, to Macau.
This effort also includes another closure of the Avenida de Almeida Ribeiro which will once more be open for only pedestrian traffic, on the weekend of February 4 and 5 as part of the “Strolling Through Almeida Ribeiro – Pilot Project for a Pedestrian Area” scheme.
According to the MGTO, this aims to “draw a wider range of visitors to Macau, not just for travel and spending, but also for longer stays and repeated visits to invigorate the economy.”
Gaming, hotel workers complain of lack of rest, holiday cancelations
With hotels and casinos struggling to handle the sudden influx of visitors to Macau, many workers of both casinos and the hospitality industry are working longer shifts with fewer rest days and, in some cases, the cancelation of previously approved annual leave.
Concerns, initially from the president of the New Macau Gaming Staff Rights Association, Cloee Chao, seem to have spread and reports from several sectors echo these complaints.
A few days ago, Chao gave voice to the complaints of many workers from the gaming industry.
Workers from hotels have similar complaints, some anonymously expressing to the Times that the problem is far broader and affects not only casinos but the entire hospitality and entertainment industry.
The integrated resorts in Cotai seem most affected, with occupation rates close to 100% over the Lunar New Year, according to the Chairman of the Travel Industry Council of Macau, Andy Wu, in comments to TDM radio.
The lack of workforce to support Macau’s return to normality has been a recurring issue affecting small and medium enterprises (SMEs) as well as the large businesses.
Also speaking to TDM, the vice president of the Federal General Commercial Association of Macau Small and Medium Enterprises, Lei Kuok Fai, said the problem could have been avoided if the government had communicated better and in a more timely fashion with SMEs before deciding on a full reopening.
