The Macau Government Tourism Office (MGTO) projects that 1.2 million people will visit the city for the autumn Golden Week holiday that spans eight days. That should mean sustained hotel occupancy, higher gross gaming revenue and increased non-gaming spend in the Chinese special administrative region.
Golden Week starts with National Day on Wednesday and includes the Mid-Autumn Festival on Saturday. MGTO head Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes expects an average of 150,000 visitors per day for the celebration. That would exceed last year’s average of 140,000 daily arrivals, but fall short of the 153,000 who visited during Lunar New Year celebrations.
Still, it’s “a relatively good figure” that could fill 90% of hotel rooms, a positive trend that began in January. “We are quite optimistic and expect ideal occupancy rates,” Fernandes said.
This year’s holiday should benefit from relaxed entry permits for visitors from Zhuhai and Hengqin. The new policy launched on 1 January to boost tourism from neighbouring cities and China’s mainland.
More visitors and more side bets mean a bump in GGR
Citigroup analysts George Choi and Timothy Chau say Macau casinos could generate daily GGR of MOP1.05 billion (US$131 million) during the holiday. That momentum could continue beyond Golden Week on the strength of entertainment and other special events.
“Casino operators are strategically organising some heavyweight events after Golden Week,” like the NBA China Games at Venetian Arena, the Citi team noted. “If these events are successful in boosting gaming volumes post-Golden Week, our October GGR forecast of MOP$23 billion could prove conservative.”
They also pointed to better hold rates, as a result of more smart tables and new side bets. Smart tables reduce the time it takes to play a round of baccarat, the SAR’s most popular game. Streamlining gameplay by as little as five seconds per round can boost revenue by almost 6%. In the past, side bets accounted for a small portion of baccarat revenue and yielded less than 1% of turnover. Now, they make up 45% to 50% of baccarat turnover.
Tracking Macau transformation to global destination
In related news, a 2024 Deloitte report commissioned by the MTGO evaluated results from the city’s tourism master plan. Macau has set an ambitious goal to become a world centre of tourism and leisure, with non-gaming revenue contributing 60% of GDP by 2028. Casino concessionaires are doing their part, with plans to invest MOP130 billion in non-gaming attractions.
The Deloitte study reviewed progress from 2021 to 2024 and looked ahead to effects in 2025 to 2030. Recommended actions include strategic marketing; increased capacity at airports and other points of entry; the enhancement of visitors’ experience through smart technology; fostering of international exchange; and deepening cooperation with Hengqin and cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area.
“Macau will actively expand its overseas markets and attract potential visitor segments such as wedding, transit travellers and Generation Z,” the Deloitte report said. “The goal is to encourage visitors to extend their length of stay and increase their spending in Macau.”
Through August, the city recorded 26.9 million arrivals, up 15% year-on-year. If the pattern continues, visitor volume could reach 40.17 million this year and 46.43 million by 2030, per Macau Business.
Macau tourism officials expect 150,000 visitors a day during the eight-day Golden Week holiday, spurring projections of increased gaming revenue.