A 10.4% increase in travelers from mainland China drove Macau’s total visitation to 16.7 million through the first seven months of the year.
In July alone, more than 1.6 million Chinese came to Macau from the mainland, a 14% increase over July 2012. Guangdong province accounted for the lion’s share at 738,106, followed by Fujian at 74,292. Travelers on the Individual Visit Scheme accounted for 44% of the total.
In all, July’s visitation was up 4.9% to 2.6 million, with the average length of stay unchanged from a year earlier at one day. Overnight and same-day visitors stayed an average of 1.9 days and 0.2 days, respectively.
Figures compiled by the government’s Statistics and Census Bureau show the total for January-July surpassing the same period last year by 4.3%, with mainland China the source of 63.2% of all visits. Hong Kong, which accounts for 23.7% of total visits, was down 3.8% to 3.9 million. Taiwan accounted for the biggest relative drop among top feeder markets, down 10.5% to 549,298. Philippines visitation was down 3.4%. Japanese visitation was down 34%.
The continued surge in mainland visitation was reflected in a record one-day total of 320,000 entries and exits through the Gongbei border gate on 25th August, according to figures published by the English-language Macau Daily Times.
Fifty-three percent of the crossings originated in mainland China, 44% in Macau and Hong Kong.
It was the eighth consecutive weekend of 300,000 or more crossings, the Times said, and is believed to be driven by a combination of improved transportation via the Guangzhou-Zhuhai Intercity Railway and a more relaxed visa policy.
