The number of Mainland Chinese citizens visiting Macau in tour groups fell 30 percent month on month in May, according to local media reports.
The suggested reason is a crackdown that began on 1st May by the central government in Beijing on low-fare tours that depend for their viability on earning commission from shopkeepers. So-called compulsory shopping tours have been linked to a number of incidents in Macau in the last two years. In one case, police in riot gear were called out after enraged Mainland visitors claimed they had effectively been kept prisoner at Hac Sa beach on Coloane.
A Macau tourism industry leader estimates that the number of group visitors fell nearly a third last month as a result of the crackdown.
In the first quarter, 1.06 million Mainlanders visited Macau in tour groups, up 22.5 percent year on year, although overall mainland visitors fell 14.2 percent to 2.76 million, according to DSEC, Macau’s Statistics and Census Service.
The Regulation on Travel Agencies, passed by China’s State Council at the start of May, forbids travel agencies from operating tours at fares below their operating costs.
Any company breaching the rule faces fines of between 100,000 yuan and 500,000 yuan (USD14,600 to USD73,000). It applies to all Mainland-registered travel agencies, including those run by investors from Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.
Andy Wu, president of the Travel Industry Council of Macau, told the South China Morning Post the regulation was being enforced.
“Consumers are doubtful when they see travel agents raising the price for a Hong Kong and Macau tour, say, from 1,000 yuan to 2,000 yuan,” Mr Wu said.
The number of Shanghai residents visiting Macau and Hong Kong in May stood at 58,000—down 25.4 percent compared to April, according to city officials quoted in Shanghai Daily.
