More tourists, less satisfaction in 2017

Even as the number of tourists in Macau swells – boosting the economy in the process – their satisfaction with local services and amenities is declining, according to the latest data from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) shows.

For the whole of 2017, visitor satisfaction with most local services and facilities dropped. DSEC said the proportion of visitors satisfied with hotel services and facilities (85.9 percent) dropped by 4.2 percentage points year-on-year. The numbers of those who expressed satisfaction with the services of travel agencies (70.7 percent) and gaming facilities (73.9 percent) recorded double-digit decreases of 14.6 and 10.3 percentage points, respectively.

Meanwhile, the proportion of visitors who commented that the tourist attractions were adequate (53 percent) went up by 8.2 percentage points.

In terms of visitors’ comments, the respective proportions of visitors who complimented retail service, environmental hygiene and hotel services and facilities in the fourth quarter of 2017 increased by 2.5 percentage points, 2.4 percentage points and 0.9 percentage points quarter-to-quarter.

The number of those who commented that there were adequate tourist attractions in Macau fell by 3.9 percentage points quarter-to-quarter.

Speaking to TDM on the topic, Zhu Ming Xia, president of the Macau Tour Guide Promotion Association, said, “Now the demand is higher not only in Macau in general but especially in some events and activities.”

She noted that some events organized by the Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) “lack promotion in some regions [of China].”

Song Wai Kit, president of the Macau Responsible Gaming Association, remarked in the same report that the decrease in visitor satisfaction might be to do with a lack of human resources.

“Tasks that in other places are [usually] done by three to five people, here the employers use only two to three people, leading the quality of the service to drop,” Song said, noting that when the number of clients grows but the number of staff remains the same, the quality of services provided might fall.
Song also noted that the government should pay attention to transportation infrastructure, especially in the Cotai casino area, hinting that the lack of easy mobility for tourists in that part of the city might have contributed to growing dissatisfaction.

In response, MGTO director Helena de Senna Fernandes, told the media, “The workers are under a lot of pressure [when the number of visitors grow]. We will think about giving some training [to the workers] or even to create new policies to help them.”

However, she did not specify the areas in which her department would address or suggest measures to increase visitor satisfaction. RM

Visitor spending increases on fourth quarter strength

Total visitor spending – excluding gaming expenses – stood at MOP18.19 billion in the fourth quarter of 2017, up by 23 percent year-on- year and 14.2 percent quarter-to-quarter, according to new information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC).

By type of visitor, the total spending of overnight visitors (MOP14.78 billion) and same-day visitors (MOP3.41 billion) saw year-on-year increases of 22.9 percent and 23.1 percent, respectively.

The total spending of visitors for all of last year reached MOP61.32 billion, an increase of 16.4 percent from MOP52.66 billion in 2016. Total spending of overnight visitors (MOP49.75 billion) and same-day visitors (MOP11.57 billion) went up by 18.2 percent and 9.5 percent, respectively.

In 2017, visitors’ spending per capita was MOP1,880, up 10.5 percent from MOP1,701 in 2016. Per capita spending of overnight visitors (MOP2,883) and same-day visitors (MOP754) grew by 7.6 percent and 8.7 percent, respectively.

Analyzed by place of origin, visitors from mainland China spent an average of MOP2,203 (+11.6 percent), while spending per capita of visitors from Singapore (MOP1,848), Malaysia (MOP1,762) and Japan (MOP1,744) increased. The spending per capita of visitors from Australia (MOP1,429), the United States (MOP1,236) and the United Kingdom (MOP1,195) recorded a decline.

58 consumer complaints recorded during Chinese New Year

THE CONSUMER Council received a total of 58 complaints and inquiries during the Chinese New Year (CNY) holiday. Around two-thirds of the cases were filed by tourists, mainly regarding taxi fares and restaurant prices. Fifteen of these were complaints, four of which were directly related to taxis overcharging passengers and service quality. Other complaints pertained to retail businesses, including mobile, watch and jewelry stores. The Consumer Council is following up on all cases, which will then be forwarded to the relevant government departments for further investigation.