HK easing of restrictions unlikely to impact on Macau

JP Morgan has said the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions to resume the flow of people between Hong Kong, Guangdong and Macau is unlikely to benefit Macau’s tourism sector.

Macau.- JP Morgan Securities has said that Hong Kong’s announcement of its “Come2HK” campaign will have little impact on Macau. The campaign aims to allow Macau ID holders and Guangdong residents to travel to Hong Kong without compulsory quarantine on arrival from September 15.

Analysts say the easing of Covid-19 restrictions in Hong Kong is unlikely to have effects on Macau’s tourism sector. Nonetheless, they see the news as positive, representing one small step towards the “reopening” of travel within the region.

They said: “To be clear, these schemes are designed primarily for those who have families or business in Hong Kong, not for tourists, as under current rules, such travellers would still need to undergo a 14-day quarantine upon return to China.” 

Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, Hong Kong’s chief executive, said the city had seen zero local Covid-19 infections for 21 days. She said the Come2HK scheme would have a daily quota of 1,000 travellers via Shenzhen Bay Port in Guangdong, and another 1,000 via the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge.

Macau maintains its 14-day quarantine for those allowed to enter Macau through Hong Kong. Mainland China continues to be the only country to have a largely quarantine-free travel bubble with Macau. 

Macau raises expectations for October Golden Week

The Macau Government Tourism Office (MGTO) now predicts the city could receive 30,000 visitors per day during the October Golden Week. The MGTO had previously said it expected 25,000 visitors per day.

According to Macau TDM, Andy Wu, president of the Travel Industry Council of Macau, said: “The number of tourists keeps rising, especially during weekends, after the validity period of the nucleic acid test is reverted to seven days.

“When it comes to the October 1 Golden Week, I hope we can exceed the record of 30,000 visitors per day during the May Day Golden Week.”

Last year, the number of visitors entering the city surpassed 20,000 a day on average.