Visitor numbers to Macau slowed considerably over the weekend to put the brakes on a strong start to the city’s National Day holiday period.
Having enjoyed a 51.8% year-on-year increase in tourist numbers on Thursday to 138,122, Friday’s numbers declined to 135,853 – representing just 1.6% year-on-year growth – before Saturday saw another fall to 114,298, down 12.1% on the same day in 2017.
The slowdown was primarily influenced by arrivals from mainland China, from where Macau enjoyed a 70.3% increase to 116,608 on Thursday but only 3.5% growth on Friday to 111,341. Saturday’s 84,895 mainland Chinese visitors represented a 15.2% year-on-year decline.
Despite the falling visitation over the weekend, overall tourist numbers through the first six days of Golden Week combined remains 11.8% higher than last year at 812,452, including an 18.9% increase from mainland China to 677,078.
Golden Week concluded on Sunday with final visitor numbers for the holiday period to be released by the Public Security Police Force on Monday.
