Macao’s airport saw a passenger volume of 1.76 million people in the first quarter of this year, – a 1.3-fold increase year-on-year or 75 percent of the figures recorded in pre-pandemic 2019. The figures were released in a statement yesterday by the Macau International Airport Company (also known by its Portuguese initials CAM).
Some 14,000 planes were handled during the quarter, a growth of 1.03 times compared to the same period last year and a bounce-back to 76 percent of 2019’s numbers.
The company noted that it “has been actively following up the implementation of the airport expansion and reclamation project” so far this year, with the entire extension due to be completed by 2029.
The airport operator also made mention of its efforts to “expand global reach” by broadening its range of direct and indirect routes, including the Beijing Daxing-Macau route, which will begin operation on 1 April, and a new indirect route from Macao to the US and Europe through Seoul, which is currently under development.
[See more: Macao is hoping to attract more international travellers with new incentives]
Meanwhile, the SAR government is ramping up its efforts to attract even more international travellers. It has launched a public tender for marketing projects that are aimed at promoting Macao as an international tourism city to overseas markets.
According to the relevant documents, 28 million patacas have been set aside for this initiative, which will require the bidders to submit a marketing plan that targets Indonesia, Malaysia, the Middle East and English-speaking markets.
The deadline of the tender is set on 10 May, while a meeting will be convened to announce the results on 13 May.
In recent times, the government has been looking to diversify the region’s tourism market through incentives such as free ferry and bus tickets for international travellers, and Islamic culture workshops for hotel and tourism professionals.
