The number of visitors to Macau rose 11 percent to 30.2 million in 2008 despite the economic downturn and visa curbs on Mainland travellers, authorities said last week.
The Chinese Mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan continued to be the three largest feeder markets last year. Visitor arrivals from the Mainland rose by 17 percent to 17.5 million, representing 57.9 percent of all arrivals, said the Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO).
João Manuel Costa Antunes, director of the Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO), welcomed the performance, pointing out that Macau was not complacent and was working hard to spread its appeal outside the Greater China market to Southeast Asia and beyond.
Mr Antunes admitted however that the Macau authorities are seeking to refine the method of recording visitors, given that a small though significant percentage of daily arrivals and departures were made not by tourists but by business people commuting on a regular or occasional basis.
“At the moment we classify those people who arrive on a passport as tourists. We know though that there are a significant number of people commuting for business each day. We need to get tourist figures that are as accurate as possible in order to plan our infrastructure needs,” Mr Antunes told media representatives at the MGTO’s Annual Report presentation at Macao Tower Convention Centre.
The number of visitors from Mainland China began shrinking in the second half of the year after Beijing introduced new restrictions on visas, leading to a 10 percent drop in gaming revenues in the third quarter.
“If we have by the end of 2009 the same numbers as 2008, or a little increase, or a little decrease, I think we’ll have achieved a good result,” Mr Antunes told journalists.
