Macao’s colorful festivities for residents and visitors during Spring Festival
Different governmental entities, tourism businesses and community organizations in Macao organized a diversity of fascinating festive events during the Spring Festival. Traditional festive vibes permeated the city as residents and visitors spent a wonderful time of Chinese New Year. visitors from different places experienced the diversity of “tourism +”, which manifested Macao’s charm as a cultural travel destination.
Widespread promotions attract visitors to Macao for festive vacation
In accord with the Spring Festival Golden Week, MGTO organized a series of festive events and vigorously unfolded online and offline promotions on diverse channels to attract visitors from different markets, including highlighting different events and traditional culture of Macao on international social media such as Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. Overseas KOLs were invited to Macao for a first-hand experience and visit to local communities. A great number of posts about travel to Macao were in turn released by them. Macao’s rich aroma of the Spring Festival was promoted among international visitors.
International visitor arrivals surges 10.2% in Spring Festival Golden Week
The eight-day Spring Festival Golden Week has come to an end in the Mainland. Preliminary statistics show that Macao registered nearly 1.31 million visitor arrivals cumulatively during the Spring Festival Golden Week (28 January – 4 February). Average daily visitor arrivals neared 164,000 (163,696), which decreased slightly by 3.5% compared with last Spring Festival Golden Week in 2024 and almost reached the level of the Spring Festival Golden Week in 2019 (171,702).
Among the visitor arrivals, the volume of Mainland visitors exceeded one million overall. The daily average of Mainland visitors was 125,000, a slight decrease of 3.2% from that of 2024 (129,204). The overall and average daily volumes of Hong Kong visitors were 231,000 and nearly 29,000 respectively. The overall and average daily volumes of visitors from Taiwan Region were 20,000 and 2,500 respectively. As for international visitor arrivals, the overall number was 58,000 while the daily average neared 7,300, a year-on-year rise of 10.2%.
Single-day visitor arrivals trended upward from the 1st to 3rd day of Chinese New Year (29 – 31 January 2025) to peak at over 219,000 on the 3rd day of Chinese New Year (31 January), i.e. the 4th day of the holiday, which increased year on year by 9.1% compared with the 4th day of the Spring Festival Golden Week in 2024. It was also the second all-time-high since the start of single-day statistics in Macao.
Average hotel occupancy rate reaches 95% in Spring Festival Golden Week
According to figures provided by industry operators, local hotel establishments saw an average occupancy rate of 95% during the Spring Festival Golden Week, the same as last year. The hotel occupancy rate peaked at 97.8% on the 4th day of Chinese New Year (1 February).
The average room rate of Macao’s hotel establishments (including hotels, apartment hotels and economical accommodation establishments) was around 1,839.5 patacas during the Golden Week, a year-over-year fall of 2.4%.
Three popular festivities as part of “Happy Chinese New Year” celebrations
During Chinese New Year, MGTO organized the “2025 Chinese New Year Activities”, “Parade for Celebration of the Year of the Snake” and “Chinese New Year Fireworks Displays”, listed by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism as part of the “Happy Chinese New Year” celebrations this year. A multitude of local and visiting spectators enjoyed the events in person. Various districts teemed with the aroma of the Spring Festival. Among the festivities, the second float parade will be held in the northern district on the 11th day of Chinese New Year (8 February) and the third fireworks show will be held on Lantern Festival (12 February) as the finale.
Residents and visitors can visit the themed webpage of “2025 Chinese New Year Festivities in Macao” (https://www.macaotourism.gov.mo/en/article/cny/celebrations-2025) for comprehensive information about local festive events this Chinese New Year.
The Macao Grand Prix Museum (the “Museum”) welcomed 7,590 visitors during the Spring Festival Golden Week, a rise of 2% compared with last Spring Festival Golden Week. The number of museum visitors peaked at 1,314 on the 6th day of Chinese New Year. In addition, the Museum held the “Spring Couplets Calligraphy Activity for the Year of Snake” between the 1st and 7th day of Chinese New Year. Normally closed on Tuesdays, the Museum was open on 4 February (7th day of Chinese New Year) as a special arrangement.
MGTO subsidized a variety of community tourism events to extend the festive joy and lead visitors into different districts for sightseeing and spending. Among the events, “Chinese New Year Drama Troupe x Creative Parade Float Market” will be held at Tap Seac Square on 15 and 16 February, while the “Through the Ages: Theatres & Cinemas in Macao” Guided Tour will take place every Saturday and Sunday between 22 February and 2 March.
Promote temporary pedestrian zone in Taipa Village
Several governmental departments, community organizations, chambers of commerce and businesses joined hands to set up a temporary pedestrian zone in Taipa Village. To publicize the measure, MGTO produced and released a promotional video on different channels. Personnel were stationed at a Tourist Information counter set up on site to assist and provide visitors with travel information. Travel agencies were reminded to pay attention to traffic diversion measures at the temporary pedestrian zone and the arrangements for disembarkation/embarkation of tour bus passengers. Furthermore, some of the performances of the community roadshow of “2025 Chinese New Year Activities” were staged at Taipa Village, including “‘Mak’ and Greet”and the Spanish team performance, to enliven the district further with festive vibes.
Step up patrols to regulate tourism industry operations
Between 28 January and 4 February, MGTO conducted 114 inspectionsat different ports of entry, tourist attractions, shopping spots, hotels and so forth. No irregularity was discovered.
MGTO’s inspectors stood by round the clock during the Spring Festival. MGTO’s Tourist Information counters tended to visitors’ enquiries, while the tourism hotline (853) 2833 3000 maintained its 24-hour operator service as usual. Between 28 January and 4 February, MGTO received 24 complaints from visitors, mainly about hotel reservation, service attitude, transport and shopping. The Office has followed up with the cases or referred them to the departments concerned for handling.
Expand visitor markets through online and offline promotions
Following the major festive occasion of the Spring Festival, the Office will continue tostrengthenthe contribution of the Greater China and Southeast Asia markets, uncover the market potential of Northeast Asia,reignitetravel from Europe, the United States and India, as well asexplorethe Middle East market this year. Rolling out online and offline marketing initiatives, MGTO will organize different promotional events and engage in major travel fairs in different domestic and international visitor markets, to showcase Macao’s rich breadth of “tourism +” in pursuit of market diversification and expansion.
