Macau visitor numbers rise 25.7% in year-to-date

Macau has received more than 32.5m visitors so far this year.

Macau.- The Public Security Police Force (CPSP) has reported that over 32.5 million people have visited Macau so far this year. The figure was up 25.7 per cent in year-on-year terms and stands at 88.1 per cent of 2019 levels, before the Covid-19 pandemic.

Cumulative cross-border trips, which include visitors and Macau residents, have exceeded 200 million, a 9.4 per cent rise year-on-year. The Border Gate checkpoint, which connects Macau to Zhuhai in mainland China, remained the busiest crossing, processing over 110 million trips, 52.7 per cent of all movements.

Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, the director of Macau’s Government Tourism Office (MGTO), has said she was confident Macau will reach 34 million visits this year, with an international visitor target of 2 million.

Last month, China’s State Council approved new measures to make travel to Macau easier for Zhuhai residents and mainlanders living on Hengqin Island. Since May 6, several visa changes for mainland residents travelling to Macau have been in place. These include allowing multiple entries between Macau and Hengqin for groups of two to 40 people on a “Macau-Hengqin tour.”

Five buildings approved for hotel conversion in Hengqin

Authorities in Hengqin have announced that five vacant buildings have met the criteria to be converted into hotels in an effort to boost tourism in the zone. Speaking at a recent seminar, Su Kun, deputy director of the Guangdong-Macau In-depth Cooperation Zone executive committee, said over 10 applications for hotel conversions had been submitted but only five were approved. Among the operators involved are H World Group Limited and Hilton Hotels & Resorts.

A policy signed in July allows unused commercial and office buildings to be converted into hotels for a period of up to eight years. The initiative was introduced to address the surplus of unoccupied buildings while enhancing the hospitality offering. It was launched following the relaxation of the visa policy between Macau and Hengqin to introduce a multiple-entry visa for mainland Chinese travellers participating in package tours between the two locations.  

Su said more than 100 companies have shown interest in this initiative. According to Macau Business, there are 31 “non-starred hotels” in the collaboration zone, offering more than 9,200 guest rooms.