Drivers made over 5.3 million trips across the SAR demarcation line in the first half of 2025, both inbound and outbound, according to a report from the Statistics and Census Service.
The figure represents a 23.2 percent rise year-on-year, reflecting Macao residents’ increasing preference for spending time – and money – on the mainland.
The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao bridge checkpoint saw the most use at 2.1 million vehicle trips, followed by Hengqin port at 1.6 million, the Portas do Cerco at 1.5 million and the Zhuhai-Macao Cross-Border Industrial Zone at 30,000. There were slightly more outbound trips than inbound ones.
Trips made under the “Northbound Travel for Macao Vehicles” initiative went up by 14.7 percent to 813,000.
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Such programs by the local and central governments have made it easier for Macao drivers to head to mainland China in recent years in an effort to increase economic integration. However, the increasing ease of cross-border travel poses a challenge for retailers in Macao, who struggle to compete with the mainland’s lower prices and varied options.
The Macao government has launched initiatives to encourage more domestic spending, such as a consumption promotion from April to June.
