The number of visitors to Macao on National Day yesterday stood at 138,254, according to data from the Public Security Police Force, which was reported by multiple media outlets. There were a total of 620,742 crossings altogether – that is, inbound and outbound – through Macao’s various checkpoints, with tourists accounting for 42 percent of the total.
Most crossings were made via the Border Gate (63,111 people), Hengqin Port (25,515 people) and the Macao Port of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge (21,198 people).
Among the visitor hotspots yesterday was Taipa Village, which will remain a pedestrian zone daily between 12 pm to 7 pm until 7 October to accommodate the crowds. According to the chief of the Economic and Technological Development Bureau, Tai Kin Ip, the total number of visitors to the village reached 24,000 yesterday, with the hourly visitor rate reaching 4,300 people at its peak.
Business owners situated around the Ruins of St Paul told TDM that foot traffic had increased in the area during the holiday, although the amount of spending by visitors was either lower or on par with that on weekends. One store representative noted that customers spent an average of 100 to 200 patacas in her store, adding that there was a conspicuous increase in the number of international tourists.
[See more: Macao marks National Day with citywide celebrations]
With 6 more days to go before the end of the mainland’s 7-day National Day holidays – dubbed “golden week” – Macao can expect a tourism bonanza. Earlier, the head of the Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) remarked that visitor arrival numbers could well exceed the forecast daily average of 100,000 if fine weather persists.
During this morning’s TDM radio program, Macao Forum, the acting head of the MGTO, Cheng Wai Tong, revealed that there were around 25 million visitor arrivals in Macao during the first three quarters of this year. Cheng said some 8 million travellers were forecast in the fourth quarter, allowing the city to reach its goal of 33 million visitor arrivals.
In terms of international travellers, Cheng noted the SAR was also slated to reach its goal of 2 million overseas tourists, with provisional data showing there were 1.67 million visitors from this group in the first three quarters of 2024.
