Tourism officials anticipate around 960,000 tourists will visit the city during the eight-day Chinese New Year period, equating to 120,000 per day.
Pre-pandemic, in 2019, the city recorded more than a million tourists over six days of the holiday. Last year’s numbers were far fewer, as the SAR had very recently reopened after three years of Covid-19 travel restrictions.
The police reportedly said they expected border checkpoints to see up to six million entries and exits between 9 and 18 February this year – about the same as 2019, if not higher. This figure includes residents and non-resident workers travelling outside Macao.
[See more: 7 Chinese New Year traditions to fill your holiday with joy, luck and prosperity]
All six gaming operators were “full” for Lunar New Year, president of the Association of Macao Tourist Agents Lou Chi Leong told the paper. Smaller hotels were between 80 and 90 percent booked out for the festive period’s peak.
Industry insiders indicated room rates were up by 20 to 30 percent for the holiday.
Taxi fares are also set to rise for the first time in seven years. While a date for the hike has not been announced, odds are on for 12 or 13 February.
The Year of the Dragon officially begins on 10 February, though the travel rush kicked off last week. The government has organised a raft of events to celebrate the new year – also called Spring Festival – including parades, dragon dances and fireworks displays.
