Slight drop in visitor arrivals unlikely to harm final numbers

Following its peak on the second day of the eight-day holiday period spanning September 29 to October 6, the number of visitors to Macau has been dropping by approximately 10,000 per day.

However, with the exception of the first day (September 29), during which the daily number of tourist arrivals was below 100,000, every other day of this holiday period was well above the 100,000 expected daily average forecasted by the Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO). The holiday period comprises the mid-autumn festival as well as the National Day holiday.

Yesterday October 5, the statistics revealed that a total of 859,289 people entered Macau in the first seven days, accounting for a daily average of 122,756 visitors.

Of those daily visitors, some 42,356 were foreign tourists, representing a daily average of around 6,051 people and accounting for 4.9% of the total.

When compared to the official figures from 2019 (with 974,337 visitor arrivals in the first seven days), the current numbers represent a 15% decrease from pre-pandemic figures.

More promotion than real business

Nevertheless, despite the influx of people, traders claim that business volume is below expectations, noting that tourists now are spending significantly less than before, according to several media reports.

Some traders have noted that this new wave of tourists in Macau are keener to take photos with products or while inside traditional stores with no intention of making a purchase.

Additionally, some shop owners and shopkeepers who own or manage stores in areas of the city outside of regular visitor routes claim that there are no benefits to their businesses from the increased visitor numbers during the holiday season in comparison to previous months.