MACAU - While neighbour Hong Kong continues to struggle, the statistics are looking solid in Macau. Latest reports show that the first three quarters of 2019 recorded a rise of 0.4% year-on-year occupancy of the city’s 121 hotels and guesthouses to 90.8%.
Overnight guest numbers were up 1.7% over the same period in 2018, to 10.5 million with the average stay remaining 1.5 nights. September’s stats saw 2% more overnight guests.
Macau is working to broaden tourism activities for travellers to the city, according to the director of the Macao Government Tourism Office, Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes.
This comes after a slight drop in visitor arrivals in September following several years of diversification to non-gaming and family-friendly travel options in particular.
A drop in group tours, 4.5% down over the first three quarters, equating to just over 6.79 million visitors, is also initiating a change in the reliance on group tours to Hong Kong and Macau in one trip.
Total visitor arrivals for 2019’s first three quarters were 17% up, to 30 million, thanks to same-day visitors rising by 30.6% to 15.93 million.
While most markets’ package tours were down over the first three quarters – China by 39.8%, South Korea by 37.6%, Hong Kong by 29.9% and Taiwan by a minimal 3% – Malaysia saw a small upturn.