New law allows shared rooms and ‘sleeping spaces’ as hotel supply nears 45,000 rooms

The hotel sector is expected to see further diversification in accommodation types following the introduction of a new legal framework that permits shared rooms and “sleeping spaces” as part of economic lodging facilities.

Lawmakers Ho Ion Sang and Lao Chi Ngai raised concerns over hotel room supply, smart tourism applications, talent development and Macau’s development as a “World Centre of Tourism and Leisure” during oral interpellations at the Legislative Assembly (AL).

Responding on behalf of the government, Office of the Secretary for Economy and Finance head Lo Chi Fai said authorities are promoting the integrated development of “tourism + technology” through infrastructure upgrades, smart applications and workforce training.

The executive stressed that overall hotel supply is ultimately determined by market demand.

Lo said that as of April, Macau had 147 operating hotel establishments, with total room supply rising to more than 45,000 rooms. He added that the newly implemented bill on hotel establishments’ operations introduces a new category of budget accommodation, allowing shared rooms and “sleeping spaces” to support industry diversification.

“To promote the diversified development of hotel establishments and create favorable conditions to precisely meet the diverse accommodation needs of today’s visitors, Law No. 8/2021 (Law on the Operation of Hotel Establishments) has added a new type of establishment, ‘low-cost accommodation,’ allowing the installation of shared rooms and ‘sleeping spaces,’” Lo said to lawmakers.

The Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) is also streamlining approval procedures to reduce investment and construction costs. As of the end of April, 11 hotel projects had submitted opening applications, involving more than 2,000 rooms.

Lo noted that future hotel room expansion will depend on market conditions, investor decisions, land supply and urban planning considerations, adding that direct government intervention in supply would be inappropriate.

MGTO director Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes said Hengqin currently offers about 10,000 hotel rooms, which could complement Macau’s accommodation capacity under policies such as group travel arrangements and visa facilitation for foreign visitors.

On smart tourism, authorities recalled ongoing digital initiatives, including the “Macao Tourism Data+” platform, which publishes tourism statistics, and collaborations with major online travel platforms to release weekly indicators on mainland visitors’ accommodation demand.

MGTO also launched an AI-powered tourism chatbot in 2024 and uses mapping platforms to promote community events and support small businesses in increasing online visibility through the “Smart Travel to Macau with One Click” platform.

Meanwhile, to support small and medium-sized enterprises, the government has offered digital transformation services since 2023, covering training, business diagnostics and free solutions for the catering and retail sectors.

In workforce development, MGTO has rolled out 37 online training courses since 2019, with new programmes focusing on artificial intelligence applications and digital marketing certifications.

The government said it will further explore the use of artificial intelligence and large language models in tourism services to develop new smart tourism products and promote cross-sector integration under the “tourism+” strategy.