Tourism | Visitor arrivals to Macau up by 11 percent in April

Visitor arrivals in April reached 2.7 million, representing an increase of 11 percent year-on-year and 9.7 percent month-to-month, according to data released by the Statistics
and Census Secrvice (DESC).

Overnight visitors (1,441,162) and same-day visitors (1,301,637) went up by 17.7 percent and 4.4 percent respectively year-on-year. The average length of visitors’ stay rose by 0.1 days year-on-year to 1.2 days, while overnight visitors and same-day visitors stayed an average of 2.1 days and 0.2 days respectively.

The DSEC data showed that visitors from mainland China increased by 7.1 percent year-on-year to 1.77 million in April and mainly came from Guangdong Province (725,648) and Hunan Province (87,911). Visitors from South Korea (64,924) and Hong Kong (608,879) surged by 48.7 percent and 25.3 percent respectively. Visitors from Taiwan (89,567) dropped by 2.8 percent.

In the first four months of 2017, visitor arrivals totaled 10.6 million, up by 6.9 percent year-on-year.

Group of doctors back to Mumbai after travel hitches

A group of 25 doctors, who were stranded in Shenzhen before traveling to Macau as part of their itinerary, left the region yesterday.

On May 16, the 25 doctors, along with their families, left for a week-long trip to Hong Kong, Shenzhen and Macau.

The trip was organized by Malad Medical Association (MMA) and was booked through Borivali-based Oppex Holidays, according to media reports.

However, the group were made to vacate their hotel rooms in Shenzhen and were reportedly forced to remain in the lobby as the tour operator failed to make payments to a Chinese travel agency.

The doctors were then asked to pay the pending amount two days after their trip began. The Chinese tour operators refused to facilitate their return to India until the fee was paid.

According to reports, there is still some money pending, yet the Chinese travel agency agreed to let them continue their return journey to India.

The group then traveled to Macau on Monday and left the MSAR yesterday.

“They are in Macau and will travel to Mumbai tomorrow,” an Indian official at the Consulate in Guangzhou told IANS, an Indian news agency, on Monday.

The president of MMA, Hemal Barchha, has filed a police complaint against Vinayak Zarekar, owner of Oppex Holidays.

According to the owner, there was a delay in payment to a Chinese account and he assured that he is “trying to settle all dues.”