Thousands of tourists visit Macau, Hong Kong during Golden Week holidays

Imaginechina

Hundreds of thousands of visitors have flocked to Macau and Hong Kong since September 29, data shows as China wraps up its Golden Week holiday.

In Macau, about 900,000 visitors swarmed narrow cobblestoned streets, many to punt in dozens of glitzy casinos, while others took selfie photographs at historic spots such as Senado Square.

During the eight-day national holiday, which runs until Friday, the number of daily visitors has surged more than five times from last year, taking hotel occupancy rates beyond 90 percent, executives said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

In a statement, the Macau government said, "The tourism bureau has urged hotel industry venues to optimize measures to cope with peak passenger flow." Adding staff, shuttle buses and check-in counters are among such steps.

Mainland Chinese visitors constitute about 80 percent of visitors to Macau, which has a population of about 700,000 and is the only place in China where casino gambling is legal.

In nearby Hong Kong, about 1 million visitors had descended on the financial hub over the period from September 29 to Wednesday, during which 1.4 million residents left, immigration data shows.

Retailers said there was a 30 percent increase in foot traffic but sales were similar to a normal weekend, media reported, signaling the reluctance of some tourists to splurge.

Since the pandemic, however, many have changed their pattern of spending, opting for inexpensive dining and activities such as hiking or swimming at the city's many beaches.