Overnight visitors increased by 30% in January; Macau becomes a key choice for Taiwanese travelers

Reported and photographed by You T-Ru / Taipei

The Macao Special Administrative Region Government Tourism Office held spring receptions and industry networking events in Taiwan on the 3rd and 4th to introduce this year’s key initiatives and promote tourism products and festive events, aiming to expand the Taiwanese visitor base and attract diverse traveler groups. Macao Government Tourism Office Director Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes noted that the continuous growth of Taiwanese visitors to Macau shows that Macau has become one of the top choices for Taiwanese travelers.


▲Director Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes (pictured above) stated that Macau has become one of the important overseas travel destinations for Taiwanese travelers. (Photo / Provided by Macao Tourism Board, photographed by You T-Ru)


Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, Director of the Macao Government Tourism Office, said that Taiwan is Macau’s third-largest source market. In 2015, over 980,000 Taiwanese visitors entered Macau, an increase of 3.6% compared to 2014. Overnight visitors reached more than 450,000, up 10% from 2014. In January of this year, the number of overnight Taiwanese visitors grew by 30%, reflecting that Macau has become one of the main choices for Taiwanese travelers seeking leisure and vacation.

According to data from the Macao Statistics and Census Service, 45.6% of Taiwanese visitors to Macau in 2015 stayed overnight. Of the over 450,000 overnight Taiwanese visitors, nearly 380,000 stayed in hotels, accounting for 84% of overnight visitors. Among hotel guests, 66.8% stayed in five-star hotels, and 26.8% chose four-star hotels. The number of Taiwanese visitors staying in four-star hotels increased by 32.6% compared to 2014. The average length of stay for Taiwanese visitors in Macau’s hotel accommodations was 1.8 nights. Based on these figures, the Taiwanese market performed well last year.

Currently, four airlines offer direct flights from Taipei, Taichung, and Kaohsiung to Macau. Targeting the Taiwanese market, the Tourism Office continues to collaborate with airlines, travel agencies, and other industry players to create various packaged itineraries and activity suggestions—including cultural tours, festival tours, and shopping tours—for different traveler segments. Efforts are also being made to strengthen promotional activities among tourism businesses and support the formation of a “Macao Tourism Promotion Alliance” among local operators to jointly promote Macau-themed group travel.