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Accommodation sector made greatest annual contribution to Macao economy in 2019

Last year, the accommodation sector made its greatest contribution yet to the Macao economy

There were more hotels and guesthouses in Macao, employing more people in 2019, according to the annual Hotels and Similar Establishments Survey. The survey is released every year by the Macao SAR Government Statistics and Census Service, and is a snapshot of the health of the hospitality sector.

The annual survey found that by the end of 2019, there were 123 hotels and guesthouses in Macao – including 84 hotels and 39 guesthouses – which represents an increase of seven establishments compared to 2018. The number of workers involved in staffing those establishments increased by 2.1 percent to 51,859 people.

Receipts generated by hotels and guesthouses reached MOP38.27 billion in 2019, a 2.6-percent increase in year-on-year terms, on the strength of a 1.0-percent rise in the number of guests.

Overall, the accommodation sector made its greatest contribution yet to the Macao economy, the survey found. The gross value added expanded by 3.4 percent in year-on-year terms to MOP19.44 billion.

Broken down by the establishment’s star classification, the receipts from five-star hotels (36 establishments overall, an increase of one between 2018 and 2019) grew by 3.6 percent in year-on-year terms to MOP30.08 billion. Room sales was the most significant revenue segment in this category, with MOP13.61 billion, a 4.2-percent annual increase; rentals of space generated MOP7.42 billion, a 4.2-percent annual increase; and receipts attributed to food and beverage reached MOP6.77 billion, a 6.3-percent expansion.

There were 16 three-star hotels in Macao in 2019 that collectively generated receipts of MOP3.73 billion, a 3.0-percent increase in year-on-year terms. Room sales grew by 2.9 percent to MOP1.68 billion.

Hotel receipts from four-star hotels and two-star hotels dropped by 4.1 percent to MOP4.21 billion and 0.6 percent to MOP149 million, respectively.

Expenditure across the entire accommodation sector rose by 2.9 percent to MOP33.77 billion, of which operating expenses (MOP15.07 billion) and employee compensation (MOP14.92 billion) were the biggest contributors.

Among Macao’s 39 guesthouses at the end of 2019, receipts and expenditure totalled MOP88.62 million and MOP69.01 million, representing growth rates of 10.5 percent and 32.2 percent in year-on-year terms.

Travel agencies’ receipts dropped in 2019, annual survey finds
  
Total receipts of travel agencies in Macao went down by 9.5 percent last year, as the number of tour groups and of residents using booking services provided by such businesses decreased. The finding comes from the Travel Agencies Survey 2019, released by the Macao SAR Government Statistics and Census Service.
 
The report found there were 218 travel agencies operating in 2019, down by three in year-on-year terms, but that employee numbers rose by 131 to 4,614 over the previous year.
 
Staff numbers at Macao’s travel agencies grew in 2019 as more bus drivers were hired to meet an increased demand for coach rental services.
 
Total receipts and expenditure by travel agencies amounted to MOP8.29 billion and MOP7.79 billion, representing decreases of 9.5 percent and 11.0 percent between 2018 and 2019. The sector’s receipts from rental of coaches with driver (MOP1.34 billion) increased by 10.8 percent in 2019 compared to 2018.
 
Declines in the number of package tour visitors and in the volume of outbound residents using travel agencies were other trends mentioned in the report. That negatively impacted receipts from room reservation services, down by 11.2 percent to MOP2.59 billion; package tours, which fell 12.6 percent to MOP2.17 billion; and passenger transport ticketing, down by 14.7 percent in year-on-year terms to MOP1.51 billion.
 
Despite the fall in receipts, gross value added increased by 10.6 percent year-on-year to MOP1.37 billion. A significant reduction in expenditure on purchase of goods and services and commission meant gross value added – a measure of a sector’s contribution to the economy – grew considerably.