Macao was voted as the most satisfying outbound tourism destination by mainland Chinese visitors for the first time in a top ten ranking conducted by the China Tourism Academy (CTA).
According to a government statement, the results of the survey – formally known as Top 10 Destinations for Chinese Outbound Tourist Satisfaction 2024 – were announced in Beijing yesterday.
Macao’s current position marks an improvement over its third place ranking in 2023, with the city earning high scores for “entertainment and leisure” and the “attitude of local residents.”
Regarding the SAR’s strong performance in 2024, the Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) said it was due to the collaborative efforts of the different sectors of society.
The runner-up of CTA’s satisfaction survey was Singapore, followed by the UK, New Zealand, Spain, Hong Kong, France, Australia, Malaysia and Argentina.
In terms of the overall data, the CTA said that over 123 million Chinese nationals made outbound trips in 2024, with their outbound travel satisfaction level hitting a relatively high score of 80.06 points.
During yesterday’s announcement, the deputy head of the MGTO, Si Tou Lam Lai, discussed the local tourism sector with participants, as well as the government’s online and offline training programmes, its quality tourism services accreditation scheme and the Macao courtesy campaign.
[See more: Macao’s visitor numbers surged in May]
Looking ahead, the bureau pledged to further improve tourism in the city by continuing to take advantage of the central government’s policies and measures that benefit Macao, which include the multiple-entry permits for Zhuhai and Hengqin residents, and the raising of the duty-free limit for mainland tourists in Macao.
At the same time, the MGTO said it would work with various industries to strengthen their integration with the tourism industry, organise more events to lure visitors, promote tourism in areas of Macao that are off the beaten track and expand Macao’s tourism markets.
Macao also bagged first place in a previous survey that focused on the satisfaction level of mainland tourists in the first quarter of 2024.
The satisfaction of mainland travellers in Macao is an important consideration, as the city’s two major industries – tourism and gambling – continue to be heavily reliant on this visitor market, despite efforts at diversification.
Government data reveals that Macao welcomed around 11.77 million mainland Chinese visitors in the first five months of this year, a figure that accounts for 72.1 percent of the total market share.
