Macau could see 20,000 tourists per day by month’s end

The tourism industry hopes to see visitors return later this month.

Macau.- As the government of Macau has begun to ease Covid-19 countermeasures, the gaming and tourism industries are hoping for a return of visitors. One official said the city could reach an average of about 20,000 tourists a day later this month.

This comes after the mandatory Covid-19 quarantine protocol between Macau and Zhuhai was lifted yesterday (August 3). Anyone wishing to leave Macau for Zhuhai in the neighbouring province of Guangdong is now exempt from seven-day quarantine. Travellers must still present a “negative” Covid-19 infection certificate issued within 24 hours before their scheduled departure time and should avoid using public transport and going to crowded places.

The quarantine measure was implemented after the latest outbreak of Covid-19 began in Macau on June 19. Land border crossings between Zhuhai and Macau are the main gateways for mainland Chinese tourists to Hong Kong.

Andy Wu Keng Kuong, president of the Macau Travel Industry Council, told Macau Business: “It is a good start to see that the quarantine requirement between Macau and Zhuhai of Guangdong has been lifted, and we expect the border measures to be further relaxed should Macau continue to report no Covid-19 cases in the community in the coming days.”

No new Covid-19 cases have been reported in Macau since July 23. Casinos have been allowed to reopen with limited staffing.

The number of visitors to Macau in the first half was down 11.8 per cent from a year ago, to nearly 3.47 million, or about 19,100 travellers per day. That figure is about 17 per cent of pre-pandemic levels.