Macao’s tourism rebound last year saw the number of people employed in the local hotel sector jump by almost 28 percent over 2022 to reach more than 45,700. That’s according to figures from the Statistics and Census Service (often known by its Portuguese initials DSEC).
In its statistical snapshot of the hotel sector in 2023, the DSEC found that there were a total of 145 hotel establishments operating in the territory, running the gamut from simple lodgings to five-star establishments. The total marked a rise of 12 from the previous year.
Receipts in the hotel sector in 2023 soared by more than 136 percent year-on-year to 37.93 billion patacas. Expenditure (excluding depreciation and interest paid) totalled 29.84 billion patacas, up by over 41 percent compared to 2022 levels.
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The hotel sector recorded a gross surplus of 8.18 billion patacas in 2023, marking a turnaround from the deficit in pandemic-era 2022. The sector’s contribution to the economy stood at 20.35 billion patacas, a rise of 302 percent over 2022, when Covid-19 restrictions severely hampered tourism.
Analysed by classification, receipts at four-star hotels grew by nearly 70 percent between 2022 and 2023. Five-star and three-star hotels registered year-on-year growth of over 100 percent in receipts, while receipts at two-star hotels rocketed by more than 300 percent.
Hotels of all ratings recorded a gross surplus, with 5.88 billion patacas registered for five-star hotels, 1.13 billion patacas for four-star hotels, 1.06 billion patacas for three-star hotels and 100 million patacas for two-star hotels.