Macao government officials have announced a target of 33 million visitor arrivals for 2024, TDM reports. That would mean a 17 percent year-on-year increase, and represent 84 percent of 2019’s figure (the last full year before the Covid-19 pandemic decimated tourism).
Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) director, Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, said the government was investing in activities targeting mainland Chinese, who make up the vast majority of the SAR’s visitors.
These included events around the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the SAR – and a Macao Week series of promotions across China to be held later in the year.
[See more: Could Macao soon be welcoming more visitors than Hong Kong?]
It was also focused on revitalising overseas sources of tourists, within a 235 million pataca budget. Foreign tourists made up just 5.17 percent of 2023’s total tally.
The first half of the year will see promotional roadshows held in Thailand and Malaysia, Senna Fernandes said. She also plans to personally attend travel fairs in Spain and Portugal.
So far this month, weekdays have seen an average of 70,000 to 80,000 arrivals each day. On weekends, the daily rate has exceeded 100,000. The upcoming Lunar New Year holiday is expected to draw an average of 120,000 visitors each day over the 10-day holiday.
