MGTO expects 3m overseas visitors in 2024
Macau’s tourism authority aims to attract 3 million overseas visitors in 2024, matching 2019 pre-pandemic levels.
Macau.- The director of Macau’s Government Tourism Office (MGTO), Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, has stated that the city aims to attract around 3 million foreign visitors this year.
The figure is similar to the number of foreign visitors it had in 2019 before the Covid-19 pandemic began in 2020 when, according to official data, Macau welcomed approximately 3.07 million foreign visitors.
Senna Fernandes has also revealed that in 2023 Macau welcomed 1.46 million visitors from abroad, which is about 48 per cent of the 2019 levels. In total, Macau registered 28m visitor arrivals in 2023, with a daily average of circa 77,000 tourists. This figure was equivalent to 70 per cent of pre-pandemic 2019 levels.
The Macau government has set a policy goal of encouraging its casino licensees to attract more customers from markets beyond China. As part of the government’s bidding process for new 10-year gaming concessions, bidders were required to create plans to invest in attracting more customers from overseas.
A week ago, the MGTO also announced a new initiative offering complimentary bus tickets for a direct service from Hong Kong International Airport to Macau.
According to authorities, the aim is to encourage visitors arriving in Hong Kong to extend their stay and explore the neighbouring region.
