Total visitor arrivals to Macao topped 32.6 million in 2017, up 5.4% from the year before, nicely solidifying Macao’s recovery.
Greater China markets rose 5.3% to 29.4 million, with mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan the SAR’s leading source markets. More than 20 million mainland tourists visited in 2017, showing a rise of 8.5% with almost half from the Guangdong area. At the same time Hong Kong visitor numbers fell 4% and Taiwan arrivals fell by 1.3%.
International visitor arrivals grew by a record 6.2%, accounting for nearly 10% of total visitor arrivals.
Korea still heads the arrivals with more than 870,000 visitors, showing an impressive increase of 32%, while those from Japan were up 9.4% and Indonesia 8%, Philippines 7%.
Overnight visitors also increased by almost 10% over 2016 to more than 17.2 million, exceeding day visitors and accounting for 52.9% of total visitor arrivals. This set new records in quantity and proportion.
Heads in hotel beds went up by more than 8% to more than13 million in 2017 with average occupancy rates over 88%, rising more than 5%, and guests paying room rates at three to five star properties that averaged out at US$160.3, taking a slight dive, down 0.2%.
Across the board there are now 116 hotels offering 37,901 rooms, taking the inventory up 0.7% year-on-year. And visitor spending January to September 2017 racked up a cool US$25.7 billion, up 16.1%.
Despite Typhoon Halo’s damage, the overall conclusion for 2017 was “fair”. All focus is set on the Macao Tourism Industry Development Master Plan, now released to the public.
The 2014-launched Quality Tourism Services Accreditation Scheme was optimised last year, with 232 catering and 37 travel agency businesses awarded the Star Merchant Award. In addition more than 2,600 joined training programmes and workshops.
The video “Enjoy Macao” was promoted to mainland visitors to encourage “rational consumption” of the city.
For 2018, first on the agenda is increasing collaboration with “Belt and Road” countries and members of the ”China Maritime Silk Road Tourism Promotion Alliance”, while developing travel itineraries, products and multi-destination itineraries.
In the same vein, increased integration of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Bay Area initiative will lead to additional source markets, multi-destination tourism products, collaboration and cultural and tourism fostering within the Pearl River Delta.
Several service infrastructures, such as the current travel alert system, smart tourism, building a tourism database, reinforcing tourism management, revise laws on the licensing and operation of hotels, support legislative work on regulations for travel agencies and tour guides will help enhance the SAR’s tourism.
2018 will also see local culture and community tourism products spearheaded by the launch of Macao Year of Gastronomy, with numerous culinary events to follow such as the International Gastronomy Forum and Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2018.
The Macau Government Tourist Office plans a City of Events by continuing to hold festivals and events throughout the year, while adding more tourism, culture and sports themes, continuing the remodeling of the Macao Grand Prix Museum and the operation of maritime tours.