Macau crosses 1 million visitor mark in first week of Golden Week

Between October 1 and 7, Macau recorded just over 1,055,730 visitor arrivals, driven by the strong pull of China’s extended Golden Week holiday. This surge underscores the region’s continued appeal amid Beijing’s efforts to stimulate domestic travel, and represents a significant increase over past years.

The tourist influx translated into robust early gaming performance. In the first five days alone, Macau’s casinos generated MOP 5.5 billion (≈ US$686 million) in gross gaming revenue (GGR), averaging MOP 1.1 billion per day—its best Golden Week showing in over five years, according to JP Morgan analysts. Despite disruption from Typhoon Matmo, the casinos held strong. Analysts remain upbeat for the remainder of October, projecting total GGR of about MOP 23 billion—a year-on-year rise of 11–13 percent. 

Still, the early momentum invites deeper questions. While visitor volume is high, spending per visitor may not scale proportionally—a pattern seen across domestic tourism during this Golden Week. Moreover, Macau’s full recovery depends not just on crowd numbers but on diversifying beyond gaming revenue, improving infrastructure, and turning casual visitors into longer-stay tourists.