Total visitor spending excluding gaming increased by 8% year-on-year to MOP$56.21 billion (US$7.02 billion) in the first three quarters of 2024, and by 17.5% compared to the same period in 2019, according to information from Macau’s Statistics and Census Service (DSEC). The increase was mainly attributable to the significant increase in visitor arrivals this year.
In the first three quarters of 2024, visitor arrivals totalled 25,920,914, an increase of 30.1% year-on-year, although the average length of stay of visitors decreased by 0.1days to 1.2 days. During the same period, group arrivals increased by 101.2% to 1,497,036.
The average per capita spending of visitors in the first three quarters was MOP$2,168 (US$271), a year-on-year decrease of 17%, but this showed an increase of 36.9% compared with the first three quarters of 2019.
According to the DSEC, visitors spent mainly on shopping, accounting for 45.6% of the total, followed by accommodation, accounting for 25.5%, and food and beverage, accounting for 20.8%.
In the first three quarters, visitors who came to Macau for performances and events spent on average MOP$5,211 (US$651), making them the group with highest per capita spending, followed by those who attended conventions and exhibitions at MOP$4,439 (US$554).
By source, mainland China visitors spent MOP$2,487 (US$311) per capita, down 21.7% year-on-year, but up 39.8% compared to the same period in 2019. The per capita spending of Hong Kong visitors was MOP$1,078 (US$135), down 11.3% year-on-year but up 14.8% compared with 2019.
As for foreign visitors, per capita spending in the first three quarters was MOP$2,244 (US$280), up 59.8% from the same period in 2019. Among them, the per capita spending of visitors from Singapore amounted to MOP$2,812 (US$351), an increase of 59% over the same period in 2019.
In Q3 alone, total visitor spending was MOP$18.42 billion (US$2.30 billion), down 6% year-on-year, of which stay-over visitors spent MOP$15.58 billion (US$1.95 billion), down 7.6% year-on-year. Per capita visitor spending was MOP$2,002 (US$250), down 15.4% year-on-year. Compared to the same period in 2019, total and per capita visitor spending increased by 21.2% and 30.7% respectively in the third quarter.
