MGTO to discontinue half-price ferry tickets for Hong Kong visitors

Authorities will continue overseas promotion campaigns as visitor numbers recover.

Macau.- The Macau Tourism Office (MGTO) has announced that from July it will discontinue the offer of half-price ferry and bus tickets for Hong Kong visitors. However, the promotional campaign for overseas tourists, which commenced in mid-April, will continue. 

The move comes as the number of Hong Kong tourists visiting Macau has recovered to approximately 80 per cent of pre-pandemic levels. Hoi Io Meng, deputy director of MGTO, stated although the free “return ride” offer for Hong Kong visitors will not be extended, the MGTO is collaborating with various airlines to develop enticing offers aimed at attracting more tourists from overseas markets.

Currently, Macau receives around 3,000 overseas visitors daily, and MGTO believes it is crucial to sustain the promotional campaign to continue the positive growth trend. 

Approximately MOP600m (US$74.2m) has been allocated this year to boost inbound tourism. This comprehensive plan encompasses a subsidy scheme that targets tourists from mainland China, overseas countries, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, aiming to further enhance visitor numbers and encourage tourism development in Macau.

The director of the MGTO, Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, has recently reported that the number of daily overseas visitors to Macau has doubled from the previous quarter, reaching between 3,000 and 5,000 in Q2.

Macau is also expanding its flight connections to various travel destinations. There are 21 weekly flights to Thailand, and a new route to Chiang Mai is scheduled to open in July. Korea’s JejuAir is set to resume flights between Macau and Seoul by late July, while Air Busan will resume flights from Macau to Busan.