First-quarter tourist spending in Macau rose 16.6 per cent year-on-year to MOP13.46 billion (US$1.68 billion), but was 9 per cent down on the final three months of last year.
Macau Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) data shows overnight visitors spent MOP10.6 billion while the balance, MOP2.86 billion, came from same-day visitors – growth of 19.6 and 6.7 per cent respectively compared to the same quarter last year.
In particular, Mainland China tourists contributed MOP10.65 billion in the first quarter, up 22.2 per cent and amounting to nearly 80 per cent of total spending.
Tourists spent an average of MOP1709 each, a 10.5 per cent rise year-on-year but a 6.6 per cent drop quarter-to-quarter. Mainland visitors had the highest per-capita spending, at MOP2002, up 13.6 per cent.
Guangdong visitors spent MOP1630 a head, up 13.4 per cent, while Fujian visitors spent MOP1291, down 8.7 per cent.
Mainland visitors travelling under the Individual Visit Scheme (IVS) spent 5.4 per cent more at MOP2154 a head.
Individual spending by visitors from Singapore, Malaysia and Taiwan reached MOP1825, MOP1625 and MOP1607, up 11.6, 0.4 and 1.8 per cent respectively.
However, the average spending by tourists from Japan and Hong Kong fell by 8.7 and 8 per cent respectively. Spending also dipped for tourists from Australia, the UK and the US.
Shopping, accommodation and F&B accounted for 43.7, 26.9 and 21.3 per cent of tourist spend respectively. For shopping, the average spend per person was MOP2468, up 19 per cent for the quarter.
For mainland tourists, 50.4 per cent of their spending went on shopping (MOP1010), while visitors under the IVS spent MOP1265 a head, or 58.8 per cent of their total.
Local food products (MOP233) and cosmetics and perfume (MOP201) were the most popular products for tourists in the quarter, with expenditure on both increasing by 4.5 and 36.9 per cent respectively.
MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) visitors had the highest per-capita spending at MOP3286, up 4.9 per cent.
Tourist satisfaction with services related to retail dropped by 3.7 points to 81 per cent, the Visitors’ Comments Survey shows. About 89.2 per cent of visitors surveyed said they were satisfied with the hotels, down by 0.5 points.
