Macau welcomed 1.309 million visitors during the Chinese New Year (CNY) holiday, marking a 3.5 percent period-on-period decline from last year’s 1.358 million arrivals, Lao Ka Weng, head of the Border Control Department, said during a press conference at a Public Security Police (PSP) press room in Zape yesterday.
The mainland’s eight-day Spring Festival “Golden Week” holiday, began on January 28 and ended on Tuesday this week. Lao noted that Macau recorded 4.918 million border checkpoint entries and exits; the average daily cross-border traffic was 614,000 people, a 0.6 percent increase compared to the same period last year. The Barrier Gate checkpoint remained the main crossing point, accounting for 2.17 million.
Lao pointed out that the Hengqin Port checkpoint recorded 659,000 border crossings, representing a relatively large period-on-period increase of 16.4 percent. Meanwhile, the Macau Port checkpoint of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge (HZMB) saw a new high of over 142,000 border crossings on Saturday.
As for visitor arrivals, Lao noted that the daily average was 163,000 people. While the overall number of visitor arrivals declined by 3.5 percent period on period, the number of visitor arrivals on Friday, the third day of the new year, broke the single-day record since the COVID-19 pandemic, reaching 219,000 – Macau’s second highest visitor number a day on record. The following day also saw a high visitor number, at 218,000, the third highest on record.
Lao pointed out that mainland visitors accounted 1.0 million, or 76.3 percent, of the total number of visitor arrivals. Visitors from Hong Kong, Taiwan and foreign countries made up 17.7 percent, 1.5 percent, and 4.5 percent, respectively. The Barrier Gate was the busiest border checkpoint, accounting for 38.4 percent of all border crossings.
According to a statement from the Macau Government Tourism Office (MGTO) released yesterday, mainland visitors decreased by 3.2 percent period on period, while Hong Kong visitors fell by 8.9 percent; in contrast, foreign visitors saw an increase of 10.2 percent.
To ease the city’s traffic and pedestrian flow, Lei Tak Fai, who heads the PSP’s Public Relations Division, said that the police conducted crowd control measures at the Ruins of St. Paul’s on six occasions during the eight-day holiday period.
During the holiday, Lei pointed out, the police recorded a total of 15 cases of taxi-related violations, including overcharging and refusal of service, along with 11 cases involving unlicensed “white plate” vehicles.
The police also received 220 noise complaints. Among them, they issued warnings for 56 of the complaints, and took enforcement action concerning 32 of them, according to Lei.
Lei Tak Fai (right), who heads the Public Security Police’s (PSP) Public Relations Division, and Border Control Department head Lao Ka Weng look on during yesterday’s press conference at a PSP press room in Zape. – Photo: William Chan
