Despite a slow and slightly disappointing June in terms of hotel occupancy, there are positive expectations for the second half of July and most of August, according to Macau Hotel Association Vice Chairman Rutger Verschuren.
Verschuren spoke with reporters on the sidelines of yesterday’s celebration at Artyzen Grand Lapa Macau for Philippines’ Independence Day.
June is normally “a bit of a slow month” with not much travel due to factors like schools nearing the end of their academic year and this year the FIFA World Cup. July, however, is set for “a good pick up”, especially in the second half, altogether looking at a positive growth for the whole year, Verschuren highlighted.
Overall, Verschuren noted that everyone is “quite satisfied” despite it being a slow month. With July and August coming, he said: “I think we will see a growth in terms of room nights compared to last year”, while adding that he thinks the average room rate will stay below last year’s. “It’s very competitive, which is good for driving volume. But of course, with the increased cost for the hotel operations, it is quite challenging”.
In terms of Macau’s international travellers, while many primarily think of long-haul destinations, it also encapsulates places in Asia such as Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand, seeing “quite a reasonable business”, he told the Post.
Verschuren particularly highlighted South Korea, which has been “very good for Macau”, with visitors staying for about two to three nights.
According to a statement by the Statistics and Census Bureau (DSEC) last month, during the first four months of 2026, visitors’ average length of stay was one day, while overnight tourists stood at over two days. Foreign visitor arrivals in April totalled 254,136, up 10.5 percent, led by tourists from the Philippines (51,544), South Korea (40,603), and Thailand (29,008).
However, the summer time is a low season in terms of visitation from South Korea, predicting that arrivals from the country will slow down during this period as they prefer to take a longer break with family, Verschuren said, noting that they opt for destinations that are a bit further or more exotic.
But in terms of Macau’s Southeast Asian and Northeast Asian source markets, Verschuren said that, in general, they will continue to grow, citing the high ticket prices for long-haul travel along with a limited, though increasing, selection of flights. And with the ongoing conflict between Iran and the US, travellers are being careful about booking long-distance flights.
“So, for the Europeans, I think it will still be small. We cannot expect a lot of business in Macau [from European visitor arrivals]. But for [for visitors from] the Asian countries coming to Macau overall, I think it’s still working positively. For those who usually want to travel far, they may consider staying a bit closer”, perhaps visiting both Macau and Hong Kong or the rest of the Greater Bay Area (GBA). He noted that there is an increasing number of visitors to Macau who also explore the GBA, along with those who put Shanghai or Beijing in the same itinerary when travelling to Macau.
Macau Hotel Association Vice Chairman Rutger Verschuren poses at Artyzen Grand Lapa Macau’s ballroom after yesterday’s interview. – Photo: Rui Pastorin
