Trial expansion of casino shuttle buses records over 3,000 passengers

Macau has extended hotel and casino shuttle bus services to local communities on weekends, with authorities noting that the cumulative number of passengers has exceeded 3,000 as of Tuesday and that the initiative has generally received “positive” feedback, based on figures from the May Day holiday.

The five-day May Day holiday in mainland China ended on Tuesday, with Macau recording over 873,000 visitor arrivals – averaging more than 174,000 per day – according to preliminary data from the Public Security Police Force (PSP).

During the holiday period from May 1 to May 5, total border crossings at all of Macau’s checkpoints reached over 3.81 million, with tourists accounting for more than 1.77 million of those crossings. The peak occurred on May 2, when three clearance records were set.

According to police data, tourists accounted for 46.6% of total border crossings, with mainland Chinese tourists making up 83%, visitors from Hong Kong and Taiwan accounting for 10.8% and 1.3%, respectively, and foreign tourists 4.9%. The Border Gate checkpoint accounted for 50% of crossings, followed by Hengqin (17%), Qingmao (15%), and the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macau Bridge (11%).

Reflecting on the recently concluded peak holiday season, a representative from Macau’s hotel and tourism industry expressed optimism about the city’s summer tourism outlook.

Cheung Kin Chung, president of the Hotel and Innkeepers Association, told public broadcaster TDM that visitor numbers met industry expectations and that hotel occupancy rates remained relatively high – specifically, between May 1 and May 2, occupancy rates at some hotels reached 100%.

In his view, observations of tourist activities and spending during the May Day holiday indicate a growing trend toward quality and community-oriented experiences, with family-oriented activities, in-depth leisure pursuits, culinary experiences, and deeper exploration of World Heritage sites becoming mainstream.

To help visitors gain a deeper understanding of Macau’s history and culture, the Macau government, in collaboration with the city’s six integrated resort operators, has extended their respective shuttle bus routes to include nine local community drop-off points, connecting areas such as northern, central, and southern districts, and the Barra area.

During the May Day holiday, one of these routes departed from an integrated resort and passed through the Kun Iam Statue Promenade, the Macao Grand Prix Museum, and the ZAPE area.

In a press release issued yesterday summarizing the program since its launch, authorities noted that overall operations have been smooth and orderly. From the start of the trial run on April 25 through Tuesday, a cumulative total of over 3,000 passengers had ridden the buses, with nearly 1,100 of them alighting at community stops.

Among these, the stops at ZAPE, Hong Kung Temple, and Rotunda de Carlos da Maia were particularly popular, an indication that the initiative is showing initial success, the statement said.

Emphasizing the need to inject new momentum into the local community economy, authorities have committed to comprehensively summarizing the operational experience and outcomes of the current phase of the community bus program. A full assessment and analysis of all aspects will be conducted, with timely adjustments and optimizations to operational arrangements to follow. The program is scheduled to conclude on July 26.