Tourism in Macau: 138,254 visitors on first day of Golden Week

The figure marks an increase from the 96,671 visitor arrivals recorded on Monday.

Macau.- Authorities have reported that Macau recorded 138,254 tourist arrivals during the first day of the Golden Week holiday. The Public Security Police Force (CPSP) reported that on Monday, the eve of the holiday period, 96,671 visitor arrivals were recorded.

A series of different events took place in the city during the first day of the national holiday period, which runs until October 7. The celebrations began at 8am in Golden Lotus Square, with a flag-raising ceremony attended by 600 guests including outgoing chief executive Ho Iat Seng.

There were also celebratory fireworks as part of the 32nd Macao International Fireworks Display Contest. Pyrotechnic teams from China and Italy put on a display for the National Day crowds, reportedly inspired by the legend of Mulan and the meeting of East and West.

On Thursday (September 26), Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, the director of Macau’s Government Tourism Office (MGTO), said that the city may see an average of over 100,000 visitors a day this October Golden Week if weather conditions remain favourable. Last year, Macau saw 932,000 tourists during the holiday, averaging 116,000 visitors per day.

Citigroup has projected that Macau’s gross gaming revenue (GGR) for October will reach MOP20.5bn (US$2.56bn), a 5 per cent year-on-year increase. Analyst George Choi said the growth would be driven by strong advanced hotel bookings and robust demand from affluent players.

The report highlights optimistic expectations for the National Day Golden Week, with GGR anticipated to average around MOP900m (US$112m) per day during the holiday period, aligning closely with the run rates observed during this year’s Chinese New Year and Labour Day holidays.

See also: Tourism in Macau: hotel occupancy reaches 85.5% in first eight months of the year