Visitor arrivals surge in first quarter of 2024

Provisional figures from the Public Security Police Force show Macau registered about 88.84 million visitor arrivals in the first quarter of 2024. Average daily visitor arrivals neared 98,000, up 79.6% from the first quarter of 2023 and 84.8% of levels in the first quarter of 2019.

The surge in visitor numbers was driven by a significant rise in mainland Chinese tourists, who accounted for 6.30 million arrivals, a 94.6% year-on-year increase.

The Individual Visit Scheme (IVS) for residents of Xi’an and Qingdao, launched March 6, 2024, contributed to this growth, with 47,000 and 24,000 visitors from these cities respectively.

International visitor arrivals also rebounded strongly, exceeding 580,000 in the first quarter, more than a threefold increase from the same period in 2023. The top source markets included Southeast Asian countries, Northeast Asian nations, as well as the United States and Canada.

The recovery in tourism is also reflected in the hotel sector, with the average occupancy rate reaching 85.8% in January and February, surpassing the corresponding figure in the first two months of 2019 by 8.8%.

The Macao Government Tourism Office is actively tapping into the potential of different visitor markets and diversifying tourism products to enhance the destination’s appeal.

Macau’s tourism industry is showing a positive trend, with increased visitor arrivals, hotel occupancy rates, and the implementation of the Individual Visit Scheme. The figures suggest Macau’s tourism industry is on its way to a full recovery, with a growing diversification of visitor markets. Staff Reporter