The number of visitors who chose the sea route to reach Macau in 2019 fell by 39.5 per cent to 6.26 million people, although it remained in second place with regards to the way of entering the territory, the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) reported.
The drop was more significant in the number of visitors arriving at the Porto Exterior Terminal, with 41.7 per cent less, which is equivalent to 3.56 million people. The drop at the Taipa Maritime Passenger Terminal was slightly lower with 36.3 per cent, which is equivalent to 2.70 million people.
The largest number of visitors entering Macau continued to arrive through Portas do Cerco, at 29.29 million, but those arriving at the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge is nearly around approaching numbers of those who chose the sea route, with a total of 5.38 millions of people.
In 2019, Macau received a total of 39.40 million visitors, an increase of 10.1 per cent compared to 2018, with 27.92 million people from mainland China, 7.35 million from Hong Kong and Taiwan with 1.06 million, with these figures representing annual increases of 10.5 per cent, 16.2 per cent and 0.2 per cent, respectively.
The Statistics and Census Service also reported that of all visitors to Macau last year, 11.41 million were from the nine cities in the Pearl River Delta of the Greater Bay Area, which saw an increase of 26.3 per cent year-on-year.
In December 2019, 3.08 million visitors arrived in Macau, down 13.6 per cent year-on-year, with those from mainland China falling 14.5 per cent to 2.09 million.
