The Macau government expects to recover during the upcoming holiday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Macau.- The Macau Government Tourism Office (MGTO)<\/strong> is expecting 40,000 to 50,000 daily arrivals during the upcoming Chinese New Year holiday, which begins on Sunday, January 22 and ends on Sunday, February 5<\/strong>. In 2019, pre-pandemic, they registered about 170,000 visitors per day during that break.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The reservation rate of Macau\u2019s hotels for the Chinese New Year holiday period currently stands between just 30 and 50 per cent<\/strong>. Acting Director Cheng Wai Tong<\/strong> said that figure is expected to rise over the next two weeks: \u201cThere is still some time before the Chinese New Year holidays and the booking rate is expected to increase,\u201d Cheng said. In 2022, the hotel occupancy rate was around 63 per cent, compared with 93 per cent in 2019.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe MGTO expects about 40,000 to 50,000 visitors per day during the Chinese New Year holidays, but the number is not comparable to the 170,000 visitors per day during the same period in 2019, as the traffic to Macau has not yet fully recovered,\u201d Cheng explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe MGTO has also received feedback from the hotel industry and is communicating with the Labour Affairs Bureau (DSAL) to find ways to replenish the hotel industry\u2019s manpower in the near future,\u201d Cheng said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n From Sunday, January 8, most of Macau\u2019s travel restrictions<\/a> related to the Covid-19 pandemic came to an end and ferry services from Hong Kong were resumed after three years. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Hong Kong is Macau\u2019s second-largest market. This week, the MGTO launched a new promotional campaign<\/a> to encourage greater visitation from Hong Kong. Starting from January 13 until March 31, Hong Kong residents purchasing a Macau-bound ferry or bus ticket via TurboJET, Cotai Water Jet, and the Hong Kong-Macao Express and staying at least one night in Macau will be offered a complimentary return ticket. <\/p>\n\n\n\n