Visitor spending in 2022 plunges 25% to MOP18 billion

Total spending from visitors to Macau amounted to MOP18.17 billion in 2022, down 25.7% year-on-year, as the city battled with unstable border restrictions due to a series of Covid outbreaks, as recorded by the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC).

Total spending from overnight visitors (MOP14.91 billion) declined by 30.0% year-on-year, whereas that of same-day visitors (MOP3.25 billion) rose 3.7%.

Last year, the SAR saw a total of 5,700,339 visitor arrivals, down 26.0% year-on-year.

Data shows that the number of overnight visitors last year fell 32.8% to 2,484,028, while same-day visitors fell 19.8% to 3,216,311.

Per-capita spending of visitors edged up by 0.4% year-on-year to MOP3,187 in 2022, with that of overnight visitors (MOP6,004) and same-day visitors (MOP1,011) rising 4.1% and 29.3%, respectively.

Concerning the type of spending, per-capita spending from visitors on the category of shopping (MOP2,110) rose 2.6% year-on-year, while spending on food & beverages (MOP488) and accommodation (MOP428) decreased by 4.3% and 9.4%, respectively.

A survey conducted by Visa shows that the pandemic has changed both means of travel as well as the aims and expectations of travelers in visiting their chosen destinations.

Throughout mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau, 44% of consumers placed more emphasis on cleanliness and hygiene during travel, while 39% were interested in “wellness experiences”. 32% of respondents named shopping locally as a goal, while a considerable 30% sought “once-in-a-lifetime experiences.”