Tourism in Macau: non-gaming spending up 8% in first nine months of the year

Non-gaming spending reached MOP56.21bn (US$7.02bn).

Macau.- The Statistics and Census Bureau (DSEC) has reported that non-gaming spending by visitors to Macau in the first nine months of the year was MOP56.21bn (US$7.02bn). That’s a rise of 8 per cent in year-on-year terms and 17.5 per cent when compared to pre-Covid 19 levels.

The growth was mainly attributed to an increase in the number of visitor arrivals in the same period. Macau received 25,920,914 visitors in the first nine months of the year. That’s an increase of 30.1 per cent when compared to last year and represents 85.8 per cent of the 2019 level.

Spending by overnight visitors rose by 5.1 per cent year-on-year to MOP46bn. The figure for same-day visitors was up 22.9 per cent at MOP10.18bn. On a per capita basis, each tourist’s average expenditure mounted to MOP2,168, down 17 per cent in year-on-year terms but up 36.9 per cent when compared with the same quarter in 2019.

Visitors mainly spent on shopping (45.6 per cent of the total), followed by accommodation (25.5 per cent) and food & beverages (20.8 per cent). The average spend of those coming to Macau for performances or competitions was MOP5,211 while visitors for MICE events spent an average of MOP4,439 and transit visitors MOP495.

Individual spending from the city’s biggest market, mainland China, fell 21.7 per cent to MOP2,487, while Hong Kong travellers’ individual spending was down 11.3 per cent to MOP1,078. Taiwanese travellers spent MOP2,106, down 7.9 per cent. Compared to the same period in 2019, the figures were up by 39.8 per cent, 14.8 per cent and 55 per cent, respectively.

Macau daily GGR reaches US$71.2m in first 10 days of November, analysts say

Analysts at Citigroup have reported that Macau’s gross gaming revenue (GGR) averaged MOP570m (US$71.2m) per day over the first ten days of November. That’s a rise of 1 per cent compared to the final 11 days of October.

According to analysts, casino GGR was around MOP5.7bn (US$712m), down from the same period last month due to October Golden Week holiday, which brought 916,000 visitors to Macau. VIP volume was down 15 per cent month-on-month drop and mass 13 to 15 per cent.

Citi has maintained its GGR projection for November at MOP18bn (US$2.2bn). This would signify be 79 per cent of the same month in 2019 and would mean a daily run rate of MOP615m (US$76.9m) for the remainder of the month.

Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, the director of the Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO), has suggested that the upcoming Macau Grand Prix from November 14 to 17 could attract more than 400,000 visitors, which would be approximately 70 per cent of the 142,000 daily average during the October Golden Week.