Visitor arrivals surged year-on-year by 30.7% in 2021, while overnight-stay visitor arrivals and the average length of stay of visitors both increased.
Last year, MGTO poured unreserved efforts in organizing a variety of mega events and activities, launching special travel offers, as well as unfolding a comprehensive range of online and offline promotions to brand Macao as a safe and quality destination. All these endeavors have transformed into concerted effects that pushed forward tourism revival considerably.
This year, in accord with three major strategies, MGTO will strive to expand the spectrum of visitor source, push forward tourism recovery and stimulate the community economy: 1) enhance online and offline promotions; 2) deepen cross-sector integration of “tourism +” and foster quality tourism development; 3) deepen regional cooperation and enhance destination glamour.
Rise in both visitor arrivals and average length of stay in 2021
In 2021, MGTO pushed forward different major tasks including deepening integration across the fields of “tourism +”, rolling out a series of “Macao Weeks” to promote Macao as a safe and quality destination as well as organizing events and activities to attract visitors. Given the above endeavors in tandem with online-and-offline promotions as well as various special travel offers, total visitor arrivals neared 7.71 million last year, a year-on-year rise of 30.7%.
The average daily volume of visitor arrivals exceeded 21,000. With the synergy of promotional measures and mega events, the single-day visitor arrivals increased further on festive holidays. Macao registered over 42,000 single-day visitor arrivals on both the first day of Labor Day Holidays (1 May) and New Year’s Eve (31 December).
The average length of stay of overnight-stay visitors and all visitors both increased in 2021. Overnight-stay visitor arrivals neared 3.7 million throughout the year, a surge of 31.0%, and constituted 48.0% of overall visitor arrivals. The average length of stay of overnight-stay visitors reached 3.2 days, a year-on-year rise of 0.4 day.
Growth in total visitor expenditure and the average occupancy rate of hotel establishments
The figures of Statistics and Census Service indicate that local hotel establishments welcomed around 6.62 million overnight guests last year, up by 71.0%, and their average occupancy rate was 50.0%, up by 21.4 percentage points. The average room rate of three- to five- star hotels was around MOP 834.5, down by 9.0%.
Total visitor expenditure (including gaming expenditure) between January and September 2021 amounted to 94.09 billion patacas, marking a period-on-period increase of 132.5%.
Synergy of events, special offers and promotions paid off
MGTO rolled out the “Macao Week” mega roadshow series in Hangzhou, Nanjing, Shanghai, Chengdu and Chongqing in 2021 to keep branding Macao as a safe and glamorous travel destination. The events garnered enthusiastic feedback and high popularity among Mainland residents and visitors.
In 2021, MGTO debuted the Light Up Macao Drone Gala and continued to stage the Macao Light Festival, as well as jointly organized the Tour Macao FUN Fair series with other entities. Through different ways, the Office also organized or supported a variety of 30 community tourism activities which deepened cross-sector integration of “tourism +”, engaging over 6.443 million participants. Since its inauguration last June until end of 2021, the Macao Grand Prix Museum welcomed around 46,000 visitors.
The “Stay, Dine and See Macao” project was rolled out in 2021 to encourage locals to experience Macao like visitors, stimulate local consumption and support the tourism industry. 40,175 individuals signed up for local tours and 28,640 hotel packages were sold, involving 72,052 overnight guests. On the other hand, Macao’s travel trade launched the Macao Highlight Tours tailored for visitors in 2021, for which MGTO specially set up information counters at six local hotels and integrated resorts.
Three major strategies in 2022: promotion, “tourism +” and regional cooperation
MGTO will orient its efforts around three major strategies this year, dedicated to expanding the spectrum of visitor source, spurring tourism revival and stimulating the community economy:
1. Strengthen online and offline promotions
Strengthen the synergy of online-offline promotions to raise Macao’s profile as a safe and quality destination via various channels; organize “Macao Week” mega roadshow series and seminars on tourism and MICE in Mainland cities which are major contributors of visitors to Macao; plan to organize an array of roadshows and showcases in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, to spotlight Macao as a travel destination from diverse angles.
Explore the development of Macao travel themed pages on more e-commerce platforms and continue to partner with mega online travel platforms on precision marketing targeting different market segments.
Organize events and activities under safe travel conditions; incorporate new elements into the Parade for Celebration of Chinese New Year, Light Up Macao Drone Gala and Macao Light Festival among other events, while pushing forward development of Macao maritime tours, to offer innovative travel experiences.
To steer the tourism service industry towards recovery, the scheme to expand visitor source will be extended this year. Partner with airline, e-commerce platforms and online travel platforms to provide Mainland visitors with a series of special travel offers on air tickets, hotel accommodation and other trip experiences in Macao, to enhance Macao’s competitive edges after the pandemic.
Depending on the recovery progress of the international market, preferential measures for sea transportation and cross-border buses to Macao will be introduced in due course. Free local half-day tours and other special offers may be provided for overseas visitors staying in Macao hotels. Offer continuous support for promotion of Macao’s Distinctive Shops to lead visitors into communities for spending.
In terms of stimulating the community economy, the “Stay, Dine and See Macao” project will continue until 31 August 2022 and welcomes all Macao residents to join for the special offers, with the aim to encourage locals to experience Macao like visitors, stimulate local consumption and support the tourism industry. The Office also presents the specialized subsidy programs for “Development of community tourism and economy”, “Gastronomic culture promotion” and “Maritime tourism”, encouraging and supporting community organizations to roll out a diversity of community tourism activities.
2. Deepen cross-sector integration of “tourism +”
Promote Macao’s development towards diversification through “tourism + MICE”, “tourism + sports” and “tourism + e-commerce” and “tourism + culture and creativity”, etc. Carry out precision marketing in parallel with the calendar of various festivals and events to draw visitors to Macao for travel and spending. Capitalize on Macao’s calling cards – "Historic Centre of Macao" and "Creative City of Gastronomy" to raise Macao’s profile.
Implement the “Macao Tourism Industry Development Master Plan” to enrich the dynamic of Macao as a world centre of tourism and leisure. Review the implementation method of the “Quality Tourism Services Accreditation Scheme” (QTSAS) for the food and beverage sector to enhance the service quality of the tourism and catering industries in Macao and boost the glamour of catering businesses in the communities. Continue to follow up with the legislative work and amendments of relevant laws to optimize the conditions for tourism development and safeguard Macao’s image as a healthy, safe and quality destination.
3. Deepen regional cooperation to enhance destination glamour
Plan familiarization trips for Macao and Hengqin travel trade to explore new itineraries and enrich the offer of Macao as a world centre of tourism and leisure. Encourage the trade to plan and promote island tours, traditional Chinese medicine wellness tours as well as distinctive tour itineraries in Hengqin and Macao; invite Hengqin’s tourism departments and institutions to arrange for participation of performance teams in iconic mega events in Macao.
Partner with mega online travel platforms in launch of multi-destination themed travel products to expand the source of Mainland visitors beyond Guangdong Province to the Greater Bay Area; jointly promote the Greater Bay Area’s tourism products and tourism resources such as food and cultural itineraries, heritage and island tours, to brand the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area as one regional destination.
For MGTO’s work review in 2021 and major work plan in 2022, please refer to MGTO’s annual work report in PowerPoint on Macao Tourism Industry Net: https://industry.macaotourism.gov.mo/file/pdf/2022_Annual_Report.pdf.
