MGTO Representatives

Note: All information is correct at the time of release.

Important Events

Visitor spending rises 23.5% in first-quarter 2021

Each visitor to Macao in the first three months of 2021 spent an average amount of MOP3,556, a jump of 128.6% in year-on-year terms

Visitors to Macao in the first three months of 2021 spent about MOP6.18 billion on goods and services, an increase of 23.5% from the corresponding period last year, according to official figures. Average per capita spending of Mainland China visitors travelling under the Individual Visit Scheme alone soared 230.4%. At the same time, visitor’s satisfaction with services and the city’s infrastructure increased in the first three months of the year.

Data released late in May by the Macao SAR Government Statistics and Census Service include expenditure on food and drink, accommodation, shopping and transport, but not expenditure related to gaming.

The average per-capita sum spent in first-quarter 2021 was MOP3,556, a jump of 128.6% in year-on-year terms. The statistics service attributes the increase in visitors spending to an accumulation of consumption capacity by visitors to Macao following a subdue of tourism activities since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic at the beginning of last year.

Overnight visitors spent 48% more than a year ago

The data show that visitors staying at least one night in Macao spent MOP5.59 billion, 48.0% more than in the first quarter of 2020, while single-day arrivals spent MOP589 million, down 52.1% from a year earlier.

In terms of visitors’ per-capita spending in the first quarter of this year, the average sum spent by each visitor staying overnight was MOP6,084, 144.9% more than a year ago, and the average sum spent by visitors staying for the day was MOP719, down 0.7% year-on-year.

The average spending of visitors from Mainland China rose by 103.8% year-on-year to MOP3,647, with the average spending of those travelling under the Individual Visit Scheme soaring by 230.4%, to MOP7,132.

Shopping represented 64% of visitors’ spending

The data show visitors spent primarily on shopping, which accounted for 64.1%. Per-capita shopping spending of visitors jumped by 238.6% year-on-year to MOP2,280, according to the figures.

The reason for visiting Macao influenced the amount each visitor spent. Per-capita spending of visitors coming to Macao for vacation (MOP6,790), shopping (MOP4,203) and visiting relatives or friends (MOP3,107) surged by 204.5%, 72.7% and 184.4% year-on-year respectively.

Among the visitors that came to Macao for meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions in the first quarter of this year, the average per-capita sum spent was MOP5,504, 82.0% more than the figure for first-quarter 2020.

Visitors’ satisfaction increases

Data accumulated from visitor surveys throughout the first quarter of 2021 found that satisfaction with services and the city’s infrastructure improved compared to the fourth quarter of 2020. The proportion of visitors surveyed that expressed their satisfaction with hotel services in Macao grew to 94.2% in the first three months of 2021 from 92.9% in the preceding quarter.

Some 93.3% of visitors commended retail shops in Macao, up from 91.6% in fourth quarter of 2020; and 69.8% of the visitors considered that there were adequate tourist attractions in Macao, an increase of 2.5 percentage points quarter-to-quarter. The proportion of visitors that expressed their satisfaction with restaurant services in Macao grew to 91.5% in the three months to March 31, from 89.0% in the preceding quarter.