Visitor spending in Macau declined by 70.4% to an estimated MOP$5.01 billion (US$628 million) in 1Q20, impacted by the massive decline in visitation due to COVID-19.
The spending figures, released by the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC), do not include gaming spend but are representative of an overall decline in economic activity resulting from the 68.9% fall in visitor arrivals for the quarter to 3,219,170. Total spending of overnight visitors (MOP$3.78 billion) and same-day visitors (MOP$1.23 billion) fell by 70.8% and 69.3% respectively.
According to DSEC, per capita spending fell by 4.8% to MOP$1,555 while visitors from mainland China spent an average of MOP$1,789, down 3.2%.
By spend type, 43.3% was spent on shopping, followed by 27.4% on accommodation and 22.9% on food and beverage.
The DSEC explained that the collection of visitor expenditure data was suspended in February at the height of the coronavirus pandemic in Macau, with survey results for the first quarter extrapolated from samples collected in January and March.
