News

Macau clocks in another year of robust tourism growth

10 Jan 2012

Macau tourist arrival figures rose 12.2 per cent to 28 million last year compared to 2010, according to a report presented by the Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO) in its annual press conference today. Not surprisingly, some 25 million of them were from Greater China, but the volume of international arrivals also saw a slight rise of 2.2 per cent, to three million.

But it is visitors from the US and the UK who stay the longest on average, clocking in 3.6 and 3.4 room nights per visit respectively. Tourists from South Korea and India prefer to visit in package tours.

MGTO director Joao Manuel Costa Antunes pointed out that the number of international arrivals might seem small in comparison to the China figure, but it is more than five folds of what it was in 1999, representing a significant growth since the handover.

Macau has also become a popular place for event planners, with 128 conferences, 83 exhibitions and 168 incentive events having been recorded to take place in the city, bringing in 2.2 million arrivals.

Visitors’ spending per head also increased, by 6.8 per cent, resulting in total revenues of US$25.3 billion from January to September alone, a 33.5 per cent year-on-year hike. Hotel room occupancy rate was up by 4.3 per cent, and that’s against an increased supply with many major openings last year such as the 1,459-unit Galaxy Macau.

While the biggest revenue generator of the 12-year-old Special Administrative Region of China continues to be gaming, Antunes stressed the importance of diversifying the tourism market, with efforts including campaigns to promote the territory’s cultural and historical sites and facilitate the growth of the budget hotel sector. More immediate action includes opimisation of street signage for key sites, improving the taxi shortage situation and fast tracking the immigration process at entry and exit points.

In terms of new opportunities, Russia has been identified as one of the markets with extraordinary potential, and the Macau Government is planning to give Russian passport holders visa exemption soon. Antunes also revealed that his department has been providing information and data to Macau International Airport Company to help map out upgrade plans for the facility, which has been regarded by many as limited and underutilised, resulting in international visitors still choosing to arrive from Hong Kong via ferry.

For more information, visit industry.macautourism.gov.mo

Reggie Ho

 

 

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