Visitation Increases 19 per cent during 1st October Golden Week

Hotels posted a year-on-year increase of 5.1 per cent average occupancy for Golden Week

According to preliminary statistics (non-resident employees and students have been excluded from the figures of visitor arrivals) from the Public Security Police Force, the overall visitor arrivals to Macao from 1st to 7th October (National Day Golden Week) exceeded 770,000 with a year-on-year rise of 19 per cent. Visitor arrivals from Greater China and other markets both registered double-digit growth.

The number of visitors from the Greater China market exceeded 720,000 and constituted 94 per cent of total visitor arrivals to Macao during the National Holidays, an increase of 19 per cent compared with the corresponding period of last year. Of these, the number of visitors from Mainland China registered a 17 per cent year-on-year increase, whilst visitor arrivals from Hong Kong and Taiwan region rose by 30 per cent and 9 per cent, respectively. The number of visitors from other markets climbed up 20 per cent to over 47,000.

The total number of rooms provided by all hotels and guesthouses in Macao reached 37,627. According to figures provided by the local trade, the average occupancy rate of hotel establishments (hotels and guesthouses) in Macao was 92.3 per cent during Golden Week, a year-on-year increase of 5.1 percentage points. Except for guesthouses, all categories of hotel registered a rise in average occupancy rate.

The average occupancy rate of 5-star hotels was 94.4 per cent, up 5.5 percentage points; the average occupancy rate of 4-star and 3-star hotels was 88.3 per cent and 93.1 per cent, up 3.9 percentage points and 5.7 percentage points. The average occupancy rate of 2-star hotels was 78.2 per cent, up 5.7 percentage points, whilst the average occupancy rate of guesthouses slightly declined 1.9 percentage points to 75 per cent.

The average room rate of hotel establishments (hotels and guesthouses) in Macao was about MOP1,700 during Golden Week, a year-on-year decline of 1.2 per cent. The average room rate of 5-star and 4-star hotels was around MOP2,000 and MOP1,230 respectively, up 2.1 per cent and 2.8 per cent. The average room rate of 3-star and 2-star hotels was around MOP1,220 and MOP750, respectively, a drop of 9.9 per cent and 11.4 per cent. The average room rate of local guesthouses was around MOP615, down 1.8 per cent.

Before and during the past Golden Week, Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) actively prepared for the peak period and conducted an array of relevant tasks, including the implementation of a tourism notification system, more scrupulous inspections, sending out reminders to members of the travel trade, food guide publication and distribution as well as organising a range of events, performances. With the above measures, MGTO strived to cater to the needs of residents and visitors as well as optimising the tourism environment and service quality of Macao. During Golden Week, MGTO conducted 64 inspections at various ports and tourist spots plus eight joint actions. The Office also inspected 27 premises and sealed five premises allegedly operated as illegal accommodation.