Macau Reports Significant Increase in Visitor Arrivals in February

February saw a notable rise in the number of visitors to Macau, with the city experiencing a 32.6 percent increase in arrivals compared to the same month last year. This significant growth was largely attributed to the Chinese lunar new year holidays, as confirmed by the Macau government in a recent announcement. The latest statistics from the Statistics and Census Service revealed that over 4.17 million tourists visited Macau in February, reflecting the city's growing appeal as a travel destination.

Growth Driven by Mainland China Tourists

A major contributor to the increase in visitor numbers was the surge in tourists from mainland China, who accounted for 78.9 percent of all visitors in February. Visitor numbers from the mainland climbed by 43.6 percent year-on-year to surpass 3.29 million. The Individual Visit Scheme (IVS), which facilitates travel for independent Chinese tourists, played a significant role, with entries under this system jumping 52.7 percent to over 2.03 million.

Notably, this year, the Chinese New Year celebrations on the mainland spanned from February 15 to 23, corresponding with the Year of the Fire Horse, and provided an extended holiday break for travelers to visit Macau. Additionally, visitors from Hong Kong and Taiwan also saw increases, with figures rising by 2.0 percent and 31.9 percent respectively.

Visitor Trends and Overnight Stays

Despite the uptick in visitor numbers, international arrivals to Macau in February slightly declined by 3.3 percent compared to the previous year, totaling 200,848, or 4.8 percent of the total visitors. However, the number of same-day visitors surged to just under 2.68 million, marking a 41.8 percent increase year-on-year, whereas the number of overnight visitors, who are often considered more economically beneficial to the local tourism industry, rose by 18.8 percent to nearly 1.50 million.

However, the average duration of stay for visitors decreased slightly, with an overall average stay of 0.9 days and overnight visitors averaging 2.1 days. Across the first two months of the year, Macau's visitor numbers reached over 7.82 million, showing a 15.1 percent increase year-on-year. International travelers for this period amounted to 479,301, representing a 6.8 percent rise and accounting for 6.1 percent of all tourist arrivals.

Source: February, including CNY, saw 33pct y-o-y growth in Macau visitor arrivals, GGRAsia, March 20, 2026.