Macau Government Tourism Office (MGTO) officials reconfirmed yesterday that Macau recorded 40.069 million visitor arrivals last year, marking a significant year-on-year increase of 14.7 percent.
The officials reconfirmed the record figure during a meeting with members of the government-appointed Central District Community Service Consultative Council at the Patane Municipal Market Complex (沙梨頭街市市政綜合大樓).
Briefing reporters after yesterday’s closed-door meeting, Wu Hang San, a deputy convenor of the government-appointed council, noted that the Chinese mainland remained the top source market of Macau’s visitor arrivals, accounting for 72.4 percent of the total, followed by Hong Kong with 18.2 percent, while the international market contributed 6.9 percent, and China’s Taiwan region accounted for 2.5 percent. All source markets showed substantial growth compared to previous years.
Wu pointed out that during the 9-day Chinese New Year holidays last month, Macau’s tourism sector experienced a major surge, with the average occupancy rate of local hotels reaching an “impressive” 95.6 percent.
In a strategic push to tap into foreign source markets, the MGTO has unveiled an array of initiatives this year, including tailored promotions and preferential policies for international visitors, as well as partnerships with local, regional, and foreign airlines to launch special fare schemes, Wu said, adding that the ongoing efforts will also focus on promoting direct flights and transit options to Macau to enhance its competitiveness in the global tourism market.
For the European market, the bureau will conduct industry training and promotional campaigns, collaborating with tourism professionals both locally and internationally to provide diversified special offers and travel packages, Wu said.
Furthermore, Macau will continue to partner with renowned international intellectual property (IP) programmes to boost its visibility, Wu added.
Meanwhile, fellow council member Tam Chi Hou noted that in order to solidify Macau’s status as a World Centre of Tourism and Leisure and attract more foreign visitors to experience its unique culture, the bureau is rolling out a raft of core cultural tourism events, such as “14th Macao International Travel (Industry) Expo”, the “34th Macau International Fireworks Display Contest”, and the “World Tourism Day Tray Race”.
Central District Community Service Consultative Council Deputy Convener Wu Hang San (right) and fellow council member Tam Chi Hou pose during yesterday’s press briefing after the government-appointed council’s closed-door meeting at the Patane Municipal Market Complex (沙梨頭街市市政綜合大樓). – Photo: Ida Cheong
