The Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) recently announced that total spending (excluding gaming expenses) of visitors amounted to MOP12.47 billion in the third quarter, down some 19.5 per cent year-on-year, although 1.8 per cent up compared with the second quarter.

According to data released by DSEC, the average consumption per visitor amounted to MOP1,540 in the third quarter of last year, down 18 per cent year-on-year, whilst dropping 7.7 per cent compared with the second quarter. The average consumption per Mainland visitor amounted to MOP1,776, decreasing 20 per cent year-on-year. The average consumption per independent visitors amounted to MOP2,057, down some 25.4 per cent year-on-year. In addition, in the third quarter, overnight visitor spending reached MOP9.81 billion, down 23.8 per cent; day visitors' consumption rose 2 per cent to MOP2.66 billion.

Singaporean, Japanese, Malaysian, Hong Kong and Taiwanese visitors' average consumption dropped year-on-year. Of long distance visitors, US visitors' average consumption rose 16.7 per cent to MOP1,353, while that of Australian visitors declined 12.4 per cent.

In addition, DSEC revealed that 213 MICE events were held in the third quarter of 2015, up 32 on a year-on-year basis. The average duration of event was 2.4 days, while total floor area occupied totalled 178,122 square metres. Some 184 meetings and conferences were held in the third quarter, up 29 year-on-year; the number of participants decreased 27.1 per cent to 15,946. Meetings and conferences with 200 participants or more increased by seven year-on-year to 29 although the number of participants (8,264) dropped 43.5 per cent.

Concurrently, 29 exhibitions were held, up by three year-on-year. Meanwhile, the number of attendees soared 42.9 per cent year-on-year to 993,848. In all, 27 exhibitions were organized by non-government organizations, of which 17 exhibitions attracted 20,000 attendees, accounting for 76.1 per cent of the total.