Macau is gearing up to welcome more tourists from the mainland during the May Day holiday between tomorrow and next Wednesday, the local authorities said yesterday.
The police have made thorough preparations for the “Golden Week” holiday, during which the daily number of visitor arrivals is expected to be 20 percent higher than the daily record since the COVID-19 outbreak, Public Security Police (PSP) Commissioner Ng Kam Wa told the media yesterday.
The number of mainland tourists visiting Macau has increased obviously recently as the COVID-19 situations on both sides of the border have continued to stabilise, Ng said, adding that Macau recorded 36,500 visitor arrivals on April 18, the highest daily number since the epidemic struck.
Macau confirmed its first COVID-19 case on January 22 last year. Its tally of novel coronavirus cases stands at 49 with zero fatalities.
Police will also deploy more officers to Macau’s border checkpoints to handle immigration clearance and patrol tourist spots during the holiday. Immigration matters are handled by the Public Security Police.
Macau has been promoting itself as a safe and quality destination for mainland tourists, having hosted a raft of promotional events in various mainland cities and offering discounts for payments made on electronic platforms.
Macau is also providing coupons offering up to 50 percent discounts for mainland tourists booking local hotel stays.
As of yesterday, no locally transmitted COVID-19 case had been reported in Macau for 396 days.
Observers have described Macau as a “COVID-19 oasis”. – Xinhua, MPD
