Macau hotels estimated to see 120K daily visitors for Lunar New Year week

Tourism authorities in Macau are expecting 120,000 daily visitors during the upcoming Lunar New Year holiday period. According to reports, this could mean almost 1 million tourists are likely to visit the city during the 8-day Lunar New Year period. 

Hotel reports indicate a room occupancy rate between 80 to 90%. Macau Daily Times cited Lou Chi Leong, President of the Association of Macao Tourist Agents, who said that all six gaming companies in the country have reported full bookings for the upcoming holiday season.

According to the report, small and medium-sized hotels are also experiencing a growing booking rate of 80 to 90% for the peak of the festive occasion, starting this weekend.

Macau is set to host a range of activities and events to celebrate the arrival of the Year of the Dragon and attract visitors to the city. Apart from the government-led Lunar New Year campaign, which includes traditional New Year dragon dances and the Parade for Celebration of the Year of the Dragon, each casino operator has prepared a variety of celebratory events, markets, and other festive activities in their respective designated zones.

Furthermore, operators have been carrying out service staff training programs with the aim to better cater to the various international guests slated to visit the city throughout the holiday season, with a particular emphasis on ensuring industry professionals receive a deeper understanding of Islamic culture.

Industry professionals have estimated a 20 to 30% increase when it comes to room rates. Lou stated: “There are over 40,000 guest rooms in Macau available, and the supply and demand dynamics are less strained compared to previous years.” 

Hoffman Ma, Deputy Chairman of Success Universe Group, expressed optimism about the strong tourism momentum that emerged last month. According to Ma, a decent hotel stay could range from MOP2,000 ($249) to MOP3,000 ($373) per night, representing a slight decrease compared to the pre-pandemic year of 2019.