Visitors from Hong Kong rose 24.3 per cent year-on-year in June to reach 623,000, according to the latest data provided by the Statistics and Census Service. During the same period, tourist arrivals from mainland China, Macau’s primary tourism market increased by 19.9 per cent year-on-year to 2.1 million.
Hong Kong was in a state of turmoil for most of June, with protests against a controversial extradition bill held every few days. Some of the June protests reportedly attracted more than a million participants.
Macau’s Tourism Crisis Management Office on Monday recommended that local residents “cautiously plan their trips to Hong Kong.”
The office also suggested that local residents should avoid going to demonstration or conflict zones in Hong Kong adding that the office is keeping a dose eye on the situation in the neighbouring city.
As of 9 a.m. on Monday, no enquiries or requests for assistance were received by the crisis office regarding the attacks at Sheung Wan Ferry Pier and Yuen Long MRT Station in Hong Kong.
Last week, political commentator Larry So told the Times that the SAR may expect an increase in the number of tourists from China, as some of them may prefer to visit Macau rather than Hong Kong due to the ongoing protests.
The Hong Kong Inbound Travel Association has estimated that the number of organised tours to the city has dropped by 20 per cent to 30 per cent so far this month compared to the same period in 2018.
Meanwhile, in June, those travelling from mainland China to Macau under the Individual Visit Scheme rose by 14.9 per cent to 931,200, according to data from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC). Mainland visitors primarily came from Guangdong province (924,400) and Hunan province (96,300).
According to Macau Daily Times, visitors from the nine Pearl River Delta dries in the Greater Bay Area surged by 36.3 per cent year-on-year to 820,900, and those coming from Zhuhai and Guangzhou soared by 60.6 per cent and 21.5 per cent year-on-year to 248,600 and 161,600 respectively.
Visitor arrivals totalled 3.09 million in June 2019, up by 18.9 per cent year-on-year.
Same-day visitors surged by 35.4 per cent to 1.56 million and overnight visitors increased by 5.7 per cent to 1.52 million.
In the first half of 2019, visitor arrivals reached 20.28 million, up by 20.6 per cent year-on-year.
