As the pandemic situation basically stabilized in the Mainland and Macao, Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) has been actively promoting Macao as a safe and quality destination in accord with the reinstatement of travel permit issuance for Mainland residents. Boosted further by the charm of festive holiday, average daily visitor arrivals to Macao exceeded 21,000 around the New Year’s Day between 31 December 2020 and 3 January 2021 while the average occupancy rate of local hotels exceeded 67%. On New Year’s Eve, 31 December, Macao registered thirty thousand (30,747) visitor arrivals, the highest daily record over the last eleven months. 

Average daily visitor arrivals increased 13% from October

Macao recorded an average daily volume of 21,242 visitor arrivals from 31 December 2020 to 3 January 2021, with an average of 19,629 Mainland visitors per day. The average daily volumes of visitor arrivals from Hong Kong, Taiwan region and international markets were 1,368, 242 and 3 respectively.

On New Year’s Eve, 31 December 2020, visitor arrivals hit 30,747, the highest daily record over the last eleven months, according to provisional figures provided by Public Security Police Force. The second highest daily record of 28,247 visitor arrivals was registered on 20 November, the race practice day of Macau Grand Prix, followed by the third highest record of 27,755 on Christmas, 25 December.

Some hotels saw over 70% average occupancy rate

Figures provided by industry operators revealed that local hotel establishments (hotels and guest houses) saw an average occupancy rate of 67.2% between 31 December 2020 and 3 January 2021. The occupancy rates of 3-Star to 5-Star hotels were 73%, 69.9% and 67.6%.

The average room rate of hotel establishments (hotels and guest houses) in Macao was about 1,127.6 patacas between 31 December 2020 and 3 January 2021. The average room rates of 5-Star and 4-Star hotels were around 1,447.7 patacas and 701.1 patacas respectively. The average room rates of 3-Star and 2-Star hotels were around 694.2 patacas and 250.3 patacas respectively. The average room rate of guest houses was around 243.9 patacas. The average room rate of all hotel establishments increased by 7.6% compared with that in October, which included the Golden Week.

Ongoing promotion to draw visitors to Macao during festive holidays

Throughout last year, the Macao SAR Government has partnered with Tencent, Alibaba, Trip. com, UnionPay International and Air Macau respectively to promote special offers and travel information, with the aim to attract visitors to Macao, stimulate increase in tourism expenditure and extend visitors’ length of stay, in turn spurring various industries to move forward and revive the economy.

Following the resumption of travel permit issuance for Mainland residents to Macao, MGTO has continuously stepped up promotional efforts on social media including Douyin, Xiaohongshu, Weibo, Wechat, Mafengwo and so forth, with KOLs conducting live streams. Last year, the Office also launched its official accounts on Xiaohongshu and Douyin to engage more Mainland residents on social media platforms with wide popularity in the country. Travel connoisseurs were invited to the city to help promote Macao as a safe and quality destination, whereas discounted travel packages and products were launched for travel to Macao through collaboration with different online travel agencies (OTA).

To further raise the destination profile, MGTO has been pushing forward a diverse range of promotional initiatives including Beijing Macao Week, Tour Macao Carnival and “Macao Ready Go!” online platform. In addition, 60 short videos about travel to Macao were filmed to highlight Macao’s image as a safe and quality destination. The promotional initiatives aim to bolster travelers’ confidence and strive for more visitations from the Mainland to Macao during festive holidays, in turn stimulating tourism recovery.

Moreover, MGTO has leveraged different channels to inform visitors various information about the pandemic situation and prevention, such as displaying “Pandemic prevention tips for Mainland visitors in Macao” on TV screens at the Gongbei Port immigration hall, posting pandemic prevention guidelines on MGTO’s website, publicizing information on pandemic prevention at MGTO’s Tourist Information counters at different ports of entry, calling for attention on pandemic prevention on MGTO’s Wechat and Weibo accounts, producing the graphic abstract of “Pandemic prevention tips for Mainland visitors in Macao” in addition to distributing leaflets at MGTO’s Tourist Information counters. In addition, hotel establishments and industry organizations continue to assist in disseminating pandemic prevention information to visitors. In accord with the latest arrangement for hotel venues for medical observation in Macao, related pamphlets have been produced for dissemination on the shuttle bus across the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge and on airlines flying into Macao, as well as for posting on MGTO’s website, so that visitors and residents can promptly obtain relevant information in hand.