Macau Government Tourist Office deployed 'Tourism Ambassadors' at ten points in the hectic Avenida Almeida Ribeiro (San Ma Lou) district during the Chinese New Year vacation last month in order to divert visitors from the city's main artery to avoid overcrowding in this popular shopping zone, to cope with the increase of tourists in the city this year. Other areas closely monitored by MGTO and the Public Security Forces (PSP) during the 'Golden Week' period from 17^th to 28^th February were Senado Square, St. Paul's Ruins, and the Border Gate area.

PSP planned a three-stage crowd control policy. The first limited pedestrian flow at San Ma Lo. The second permitted only single direction flow on one side of San Ma Lo plus the set-up of a temporary ambulance station in Macau Business Tourism Centre in Senado Square. The third level of implementation called for the prohibition of pedestrians to Senado Square. Similar pedestrian flow measures were implemented for the Ruins of St. Paul's and the Border Gate.

The pedestrian zone on Avenida da Praia Grande between BNU and BOC banks was widened to accommodate more people. From the 19^th to 22^nd February, only buses were allowed to run on the road through San Ma Lo.

This year, Mainland China's CNY 'Golden Week' extended from the day before Chinese New Year (18^th February) to 24^th February. The 1.02 million visitors (including non-resident workers and students) received by Macau from all jurisdictions marked a decrease of 2.43 per cent over the CNY period last year, while the previous recorded drop during CNY Golden Week was in 2009. As Mainland Chinese traditionally travel less on the last day of the year and CNY Golden Week 2014 fell between the 1^st and 7^th day of CNY it is believed that this accounts for the dip. Regardless, between the first and sixth day of this year's CNY (19^th to 24^th February) visitor arrivals from Mainland China increased by 4.9 per cent, while overall visitor arrivals increased 2.91 per cent, in line with MGTO expectations.