Macau summer expectations hit by recent Covid-19 outbreak

Expectations for the summer holiday period in July and August have been diminished due to the outbreak.

Macau.- Analysts expected better GGR for Macau in July and August during the summer holiday period, but that may be off the cards after the city detected local cases of Covid-19.

Andy Wu Keng Kuong, president of Macau Travel Industry Council, said the city now expects an average hotel occupancy rate of less than 50 per cent for August.

He said: “We hope that the local Covid-19 situation can be controlled within 14 days so that hospitality businesses here can gradually pick up starting from late August.”

However, he said it may take another month to see a recovery in tourist arrivals. Ma Chio Hong, a member of the Public Security Police, reported that only 1,800 tourists arrived in Macau on Wednesday while on Tuesday there were 12,900 arrivals.

Authorities had already implemented new controls requiring all visitors to Macau from any mainland Chinese city to hold a negative nucleic acid test certificate for Covid-19. 

Ian Couglan, Wynn Macau president, has said he is confident that Macau’s outbreak will quickly be under control.

Casinos remain open for now, though Couglan said a return to “normal levels” of business will depend on an increase in the vaccination rate in the city and its neighbouring provinces.

Some 289,941 people have been vaccinated against Covid-19 in Macau, but only 234,849 people have received two doses.

Sanford C. Bernstein Ltd has predicted that Macau’s GGR for August could be down 60 per cent compared to August 2019 as the Covid-19 cases are still spreading across China, and Macau-Hong Kong bubble travel is not likely to reopen soon.

Mainland China continues to be the only country to have a largely quarantine-free travel bubble with Macau.