Macau government subsidises 60,000 hotel stays

The city is expecting another increase in visitation from the mainland during Christmas and the Chinese New Year.

Macau.- Macau’s secretary for economy and finance, Lei Wai Nong, said that the city is preparing for an increase in visitation for the holiday season, with peaks at Christmas and the Chinese New Year.

To boost arrivals from the mainland, he said the government has developed campaigns to promote Macau as an attractive destination and to incentivise longer stays.

The authorities have invested MOP 200m (US$25.1m) in subsidy scheme that has so far been used to book 60,000 hotel stays.

Lei said that as a result of the strategy, the average stay had risen to 2.8 nights.

Macau News reported the secretary is expecting the upcoming Western New Year and Chinese New Year to offer the opportunity for tourists to stay longer in the city and increase their spending.

Meanwhile, he refused to comment meanwhile on recent layoffs at Macau VIP rooms. He said that visitation had gradually been increasing since the Individual Visitation Scheme resumed for all of mainland China in September, but understood the economic recovery could take a significant time.