Macao’s tourism numbers over the Christmas period are not expected to match those of pre-pandemic 2019, but tourism officials “will continue to work hard” to end the year on a high note.
That was the pledge made yesterday by the head of the Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO), Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, speaking to media in Hong Kong
In remarks cited by Macau Post Daily, the tourism tsar told reporters that a number of tourism boosting events had been scheduled for the holiday season, including the Light Up Macao festival of illuminations, Christmas Day fireworks, and a show at the new Cotai outdoor performance venue on 28 December.
[See more: International hotel guests rise in October]
She also referred to the “Fancy Treats at Your Fingertips” promotion, offering hundreds of special offers at the city’s casino resorts and small- to medium-sized retailers and restaurants.
The government estimates that Macao will record 34 million visitors this year. However, industry figures have made more optimistic predictions.
The chairman of the Travel Industry Council of Macau, Andy Wu, says there could be as many as 35 million – equivalent to 90 percent of the more than 39.4 million visitors who set foot in the SAR in 2019.
