The data was released on Wednesday after a Council for the Development of Tourism meeting and shows that ‘until mid-November, the daily average exceeded 20,600 tourists, with the highest number of 25,444 reported on November 6’.

In the first week of November, according to data provided to the authorities by hotel establishments, the average occupancy rate in hotels was between 33 and 45 per cent.

These data represent a slight improvement compared to the daily average of around 19,000 visitors and 38.1 per cent of hotel occupancy rate recorded in October, a month that had also recorded ‘daily average of around 19,000 visitors, an increase of 26% compared to the daily average for September’.

After the reopening of individual and group visas from mainland China to the territory on September 23, suspended since the beginning of the pandemic, the number of visitors to the gambling capital of the world has gradually increased, albeit slowly and well below an average of about three million visitors registered per month in 2019.

Macau, which registered 46 Covid-19 infections, but has no active case or detected any local outbreak, was one of the first territories to be impacted by the economic crisis caused by the covid-19 pandemic.
Border restrictions and preventive measures have almost paralyzed the economy, which is driven by Chinese gambling and tourism, with casinos posting unprecedented losses.

During the meeting, Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) Director Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes explained to those present that the Government of Macau has been working with the central government for “the return of tour groups from the interior of China to Macau”.

“Due to the mechanism of prevention and joint control by the country, for the time being, the resumption of tourism for cross-border excursions is not being considered”, reads the statement.

“The Macau SAR Government will, however, continue to strive for this objective to be achieved”, reinforced the official.