Macao tourism officials are highly optimistic about a healthy uptick in visitor numbers after recording 28,100 arrivals on New Year’s Eve.
The Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) said that this was the highest number in a single day since National Day on 1 October, the first day of Golden Week holiday.
On Friday, Macao recorded 18,000 visitor arrivals, up 49.2 per cent from the daily average of 12,203 arrivals from 1 to 29 December.
The MGTO said it was a significant increase compared to December’s daily average of 12,000, reflecting visitors’ increased confidence in Macao and the expectation of a steady rise in arrivals during the international New Year and Chinese New Year holidays.
The MGTO also said that with the relaxation of Macao’s entry regulation for Hong Kong visitors, it has joined hands with the tourism sector to attract more Hong Kong visitors to increase their length of stay in Macao and boost their willingness to spend, thus helping Macao’s tourism and economic recovery.
The MGTO also said it would continue to provide its Highlight Tours in conjunction with Macao’s travel trade to launch a series of activities that will allow visitors to experience Macao’s history, cultural landscape and “tourism+” projects, taking high-spending travellers into the community and boosting visitors’ expenditure in the community.
The MGTO also plans to organise a large-scale roadshow and set up booths at the upcoming Hong Kong International Travel Expo to promote Macao’s “tourism+” attractions. A raft of ongoing online and offline promotions, as well as tourism product offers, MGTO said, aim to attract repeat visits by Hongkongers.
Other plans include organising exchange sessions and study tours for the MICE and incentive travel trade to promote the MGTO Travel Stimulation Programme, which aims to facilitate exchanges and cooperation within the trade, and to promote Macao as a destination for incentive and business travel, The Macau Post Daily reported.
