Macau occupancy rate could reach 80% during summer holiday period

Macau hopes the summer holiday months of July and August will see an improvement for the tourism and gaming sectors after a weak June.

Macau.- The Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) director Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes has said she believes Macau may see an average nightly hotel occupancy rate of between 70 per cent to 80 per cent during the summer holiday months of July and August.

That would be a marked improvement after a weak June, which saw the average hotel occupancy rate drop below 50 per cent, mainly due to the rise in Covid-19 cases in the Guangdong province. In May, the average room occupancy rate for five-star hotels in Macau had been 67.1 per cent.

Macau’s Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR) also fell in June after months of improvement, registering a decline of 37 per cent to MOP$6.54bn ($817.3m), from MOP10.45bn (US$1.31bn) in May. However, the number represents an increase of 813 per cent from June 2020, when the city registered GGR of MOP$716m.

Macau will also launch the “Stay, Dine and See Macao” initiative to let Macau residents book government-subsidised staycations at hotels and guest houses. It ran a similar initiative during the Labour Day break.

Macau seeks to ease restrictions with Hong Kong

With the summer holiday break approaching, the Macau government is reported to be planning to allow quarantine-free inbound travel to visitors coming from Hong Kong.

Some 51 hotels have expressed an interest in the plans. One of the key matters being discussed is the possibility of allowing access to casino floors, most likely with limits on visitor numbers.

Authorities are also considering an application system for those who wish to visit Macau. Visitors must have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19 at least 14 days before travel would be allowed to enter Macau. 

Visitors will also need to present a negative Covid-19 test taken within 48 hours and a negative result from a test taken upon arrival in Macau.

They will also have to present the Macao Health Code, the government document that classifies health status by colour: red, yellow, and green. A blue colour may be added for those arriving from Hong Kong. This may prohibit access to bars, parties and karaoke clubs.