Macau Tourism Rebounds, Eyes International Audience with Mega Campaign

Known for its exciting casinos and fusion of cultures, Macau is seeing a substantial increase in foreign travel. In the first quarter of 2024, visitor numbers increased by 79.4% year over year to 8,875,757, a remarkable recovery to pre-pandemic levels.

The Macau Tourism Office is organizing a major international campaign that will make its premiere in Singapore on Thursday, April 25th, in an attempt to sustain this momentum.

Macau’s tourism sector is booming again, suggesting that the popular destination may make a comeback.

The territory’s Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) has released new data showing that foreign visitor arrivals have climbed by 68.2 percent from 2019 levels. 584,026 foreign tourists are anticipated in the first quarter of 2024.

Leading the way in this comeback with almost 110,000 cross-border travelers—a 23.7 percent increase over the same period in 2019—is the Philippines.

Experts attribute the expansion to Macau’s close proximity to Hong Kong and the substantial Filipino expat community residing in the area.

Among other important markets, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand have shown notable recoveries, with visitor numbers roughly returning to pre-pandemic levels.

However, Northeast Asian markets—South Korea and Japan, in particular—have underperformed, making up just 49.4% and 40.6%, respectively, of pre-COVID levels.

The Macau Tourism Office has revealed plans for a big campaign that will start in Singapore in an effort to increase foreign visitors.

The campaign aims to capitalize on Singapore’s status as Macau’s eighth-largest international visitor market. Macau saw 25,623 tourists from Singapore in just the first quarter of 2024, a considerable rise over the same period the previous year.

Starting on Thursday, April 25, the campaign will take the shape of a four-day roadshow with immersive experiences and promotional events held at the Suntec City Atrium.

The campaign aims to use the current connections between Macau and Singapore, where two airlines, Air Macau and Scoot, offer frequent direct flights, in order to promote increased tourism from the island nation.

The tourism stakeholders in Macau, particularly those involved in the gaming business, are seeking a more varied mix of visitors despite the encouraging recovery.

Due to regulatory requirements to boost the percentage of foreign visitors and bettors, gaming operators are increasing their efforts to reach a wider audience.

A flurry of government-led roadshows and private-sector initiatives aimed at bolstering foreign marketing operations and expanding worldwide reach have been brought about by this strategy shift.

The confluence of updated tourism initiatives and calculated marketing strategies suggests that Macau, ready to reclaim its position as a premier worldwide tourism destination, has a bright future ahead of it as it forges a path toward recovery.

Original Story by: Asian Gaming Brief