Tourist arrivals in Macau reached 869,390 by 9 p.m. on the final day of the mainland’s May Day Golden Week holiday, as border checkpoints logged more than 1.23 million crossings (excluding Macau residents), according to the Public Security Police Force
The Border Gate, Hengqin, and Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge checkpoints handled the majority of arrivals.
Industry leaders expressed confidence that visitor numbers would continue to bring “pleasant surprises” this year, following a record-high single-day arrival of 248,000 tourists on May 2.
Travel Industry Council of Macau president Andy Wu dismissed concerns over visitor numbers, stating that current levels remain within manageable limits, according to the Chinese-language newspaper Macao Daily News on Tuesday.
The Macau Government Tourism Office (MGTO) had estimated daily visitor numbers at 160,000 and a five-day total of over 800,000 for the just-concluded May Day holiday.
However, the industry insider noted that the actual visitor numbers exceeded expectations, giving the tourism sector greater confidence for the whole year.
A sharp rise in international oil prices is among the factors that have contributed to the increase in visitor numbers to Macau, industry representative Wu reportedly said. He noted that many airlines have announced adjustments to fuel surcharges, while several international routes from the mainland have been adjusted or canceled – factors that have prompted mainland residents to opt for short-distance travel, with Macau naturally becoming a popular destination, he added.
Hotel occupancy rates exceeded 90% during the first three days of the holiday peak season, according to Wu.
Room rates in Macau proper were around MOP1,000, while those in Cotai were slightly higher. He noted that, given the increase in hotel room supply in recent years and the convenient transportation links between the mainland and Macau, fluctuations in local hotel rates have remained “relatively moderate.”
While visitor numbers have risen – with police implementing crowd control measures twice on Monday alone along the Ruins of St. Paul’s, where foot traffic was restricted to one-way uphill movement toward the area, with pedestrians redirected through surrounding lanes such as Calçada do Amparo, Rua de Nossa Senhora do Amparo, and Rua de D. Belchior Carneiro – the industry insider maintained that current visitor numbers remain within manageable limits.
Acknowledging Macau’s efforts to encourage tourists into local communities – including instructing bus companies to increase services and optimize route signage – the insider also noted that public bus capacity remains limited. In the long term, he said, the light rapid transit system must be accelerated to enhance checkpoint dispersal capacity in order to improve overall tourism reception quality.
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