Macau could receive 20,000 visitors per day for the rest of August

Andy Wu Keng Kuong, Macau Travel Industry Council’s president, has said Macau could receive 20,000 visitors per day for the remaining days of August and in September.

Macau.- As the daily tally of inbound tourists continues to rise, Andy Wu Keng Kuong, Macau Travel Industry Council’s president, has predicted that Macau’s daily tally of inbound tourists could reach 20,000 per day for the rest of August and into September.

As for October’s Golden Week, he’s upped predictions made by Macao Government Tourism Office director Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, forecasting 30,000 tourists per day if the Covid-19 pandemic remains under control in mainland China. Fernandes had predicted 25,000 visitors per day.

Wu Keng Kuong said: “If Macau can maintain its existing seven-day Covid-19 test rule for Guangdong-Macau travel and the city’s list of mainland China cities that need to undergo quarantine continues to dwindle, then it will help our hotel occupancy to reach around 60 per cent.”

He said he was hopeful that mainland authorities may allow the resumption of package tour groups from mainland China to Macau. However, he thinks this will probably happen “in stages”.

He added: “I don’t think mainland would permit a large number of provinces or cities to resume Macau-bound package tours all at once, but to permit it first in a small number of places where the Covid-19 situation is relatively stable.”

This year, the October Golden Week will be held during the first seven days of October. Last year, the number of visitors entering the city surpassed 20,000 a day on average.

Authorities have announced an extension for the validity of negative Covid-19 tests to seven days for visitors from Guangdong province and expect to continue easing border restrictions.

Macau’s Public Security Police have reported that Macau’s visitor arrivals between August 14 to 18 were up 168 per cent when compared to the previous week. There were over 30,000 entries and exits daily between August 16 to 18, up 65 per cent when compared to the previous week.

In June, the MGTO predicted the city could receive between 7 and 8 million visitors this year. That compares to previous forecasts of between 6 and 10 million arrivals.