Macau Government Tourism Office (MGTO) Director Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes told reporters on the sidelines of yesterday’s press conference that due to the Chinese mainland’s official Spring Festival holiday period spanning nine days this year (starting from February 15 through 23), MGTO estimates Macau’s total visitor arrivals will be between 1.42 million and over 1.5 million, averaging 158,000 to 175,000 visitors per day, adding that MGTO aims to sustain visitor attractions before and after the holiday.
Spring Festival is the official name of the Chinese New Year (CNY) in the Chinese mainland.
The press conference for the 2026 CNY activities, the float parade, drone and fireworks displays were held at the Macau Tower Convention & Entertainment Centre.
Senna Fernandes pointed out that Macau visitors’ arrivals reached 40.06 million last year, MGTO expecting 41 million this year.
Meanwhile, in 2025, foreign visitor numbers increased by over 13 percent, with double-digit growth in markets such as Indonesia, Philippines, and South Korea, Senna Fernandes said, adding that the number of foreign visitors for 2026 is expected to recover to the pre-pandemic period levels, targeting a minimum of 3 million foreign visitor arrivals.
Senna Fernandes said that her bureau will continue to leverage national policies, including the 240-hour transit visa-free policies at the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) and Hengqin Port (border checkpoint) to attract more foreign visitors and promote integrated itineraries across the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau region, adding that the policies such as Zhuhai’s “One Trip Per Week” scheme and Hengqin’s multiple Macau entry permit, facilitation at Hengqin Port will continue to support growth in the number Macau’s Chinese mainland visitor arrivals.
Meanwhile, consolidating traditional markets in Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, the Americas and Europe will be one of the MGTO market expansion strategies this year, while continuing to explore the Middle Eastern market and initiating research into Central Asian markets such as Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, she said.
Senna Fernandes added that the “International Cities of Gastronomy Fest” will be held in March (originally scheduled for June–July) to avoid adverse weather and typhoon impacts; the main venue will be at Fisherman’s Wharf, with a secondary venue in Zape, focusing on international food-related products and specialties, without on-site cooking.
Macau Government Tourism Office (MGTO) Director Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes poses on the sidelines of yesterday’s press conference for 2026 CNY activities, the float parade and drone and fireworks displays, at the Macau Tower Convention & Entertainment Centre. – Photo: Ida Cheong
