Christmas day saw 117,000 visitors enter Macao, according to Public Security Police (PSP) figures – an increase of about 8 percent when compared to the 2023 figure of 108,000. About 110,000 visitors departed the city that same day.
Including trips made by locals, about 679,000 people crossed the SAR’s borders on 25 December, 361,000 of which were inbound. The busiest crossings were the Border Gate, the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge and the Qingmao Port.
Christmas Eve saw a year-on-year drop of about 18 percent in visitor arrivals, according to the PSP. That amounted to about 98,000 visitors entering the city this year, and 120,000 in 2023. In total, the 626,000 combined entries and exits registered on Christmas Eve represented an increase of roughly 4 percent.
[See more: Tourism chief says Macao will work hard to end the year on a high note]
Last Saturday’s Winter Solstice, meanwhile, experienced a sizable jump of around 45 percent year-on-year – with Macao welcoming about 110,000 inbound tourists. The overall number of inbound and outbound trips hit 601,000.
As of November, there had been an average rate of 95,000 visitors per day in 2024 – a surge of 27 percent year-on-year, or a recovery of 87 percent in comparison to 2019 numbers.
While the final visitor arrival tally for 2024 remains some days off, local authorities have expressed confidence that it will come in at around 34 million – surpassing the official target set at the start of this year by one million.
Andy Wu, the head of the Travel Industry Council of Macao, has gone so far as to say that the visitor arrival number could hit 35 million – a recovery of 90 percent in comparison to 2019 numbers, which was the last full year before the Covid-19 pandemic.
In order to attract more tourists during the Christmas period, local authorities organised a wide range of activities and events, including the festival of lights known as Light Up Macao, an outdoor concert taking place this Saturday, and the annual Tap Seac Square Christmas Market, running until 1 January 2025.
Tourists interviewed by local media have cited various reasons for visiting Macao this Christmas. Some were drawn by the fireworks display, which took place yesterday night, while others were attracted by the SAR’s history and rich festive culture.
Business owners that spoke with TDM, meanwhile, indicated visitors were spending less in comparison to last year, even though they were seeing an increase in foot traffic. One reason for this is the weaker yuan, which has reduced the purchasing power of mainland visitors in Macao.
