Macao’s tourism industry recorded robust performance in the first quarter of 2026, with the total number of visitors surpassing 11.2 million. The 11,213,904 arrivals represent a 13.7 percent increase compared to the same period in the previous year, according to data from the Statistics and Census Service.
The overall growth was primarily boosted by tourists making short trips. Same-day visitors rose sharply by 20.3 percent year-on-year, reaching 7,007,320. In contrast, overnight visitors increased by a more modest 4.1 percent, totalling 4,206,584. This preference for short visits contributed to a slight reduction in the average length of stay for all visitors, which shortened by 0.1 days to 1 day. The average stay for overnight guests, however, held steady at 2.2 days.
Mainland Chinese tourists were the dominant source, accounting for 8,388,921 arrivals, an increase of 16.4 percent year-on-year. Within this group, nearly 4.8 million people travelled under the Individual Visit Scheme (IVS), a growth of 18.4 percent. Other domestic markets also saw an increase. Visitors from Taiwan posted strong growth, up 29.1 percent to 285,464, while arrivals from Hong Kong grew by 1.8 percent to 1,783,763.
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Macao also registered a 10.7 percent rise in international visitors, reaching a total of 755,756 for the quarter. Several markets posted notable uplifts. Arrivals from Thailand saw the highest increase, surging by 70.5 percent (59,811 visitors), followed by India, which hiked by 41.3 percent (27,034 visitors).
The Philippines (131,749 visitors) and Malaysia (48,903 visitors) increased by 4.1 percent and 3.8 percent, respectively. Conversely, arrivals from Indonesia fell by 13.8 percent (46,262 visitors). Long-haul tourists from the USA (39,340 visitors) and visitors from the Republic of Korea (184,938 visitors) both recorded an identical increase of 7.4 percent year-on-year.
As for the month of March alone, visitor numbers rose by 10.6 percent year-on-year to 3,393,636. Day-trippers grew by 16.6 percent (2,076,190), significantly outpacing the 2.2 percent growth recorded for overnight visitors (1,317,446). International arrivals in March demonstrated particularly strong momentum, rising by 18.4 percent to 276,455. The average length of stay for March arrivals was 1 day, while overnight visitors stayed an average of 2.3 days.
