2026 Chinese New Year Drives Strong Visitor Growth in Macau

Surge in Tourists During Chinese New Year Holiday

Macau experienced a significant increase in tourist arrivals over the 2026 Chinese New Year period. Thanks to various promotional activities and festive celebrations, the city welcomed about 1.554 million visitors from February 15 to 23, coinciding with the Spring Festival Golden Week.

Visitor Numbers Exceed Expectations

The actual visitor count far surpassed initial estimates, which had predicted around 120,000 arrivals each day. Instead, the daily average reached 169,725, nearly matching the pre-pandemic daily figure of 171,702 seen in 2019. This influx notably benefited Macau’s hospitality sector, with hotel occupancy rates climbing to 95.2% throughout the holiday, marking an almost 10% increase compared to the previous year.

Mainland China Leads Visitor Origins

Most of this visitor growth came from mainland China, accounting for about 76% of all arrivals. This translates to roughly 1.04 million mainland tourists, averaging approximately 129,000 arrivals daily during the festival.

Gaming Revenues Reflect Visitor Growth

The Macau Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau reported that gross gaming revenue (GGR) from luck-based games in February reached MOP 20.62 billion (around $2.55 billion), a 4.5% increase year-over-year. The six casino operators surpassed expectations, beating the forecast of just 1% growth. Despite a slow start to the holiday, a late surge in visitor numbers pushed daily casino earnings beyond $150 million.

Factors Behind Macau’s Visitor Growth in 2026

Several reasons explain Macau’s strong visitor increase this year. First, the Chinese New Year holiday lasted nine days from February 15 to 23, during which many mainland workers had paid leave, unlike the split holiday observed in early 2025.

Another contributing factor was the new permission granted to major casino operators such as Galaxy Entertainment Group, Melco Resorts, and SJM Holdings to offer currency exchange services within their venues. This convenience likely attracted more international tourists.

Additionally, Macau’s gaming sector has been shifting focus away from VIP high-rollers toward the premium and mass-market gaming segments. This strategic shift gained momentum after the 2022 relicensing, when the local government intensified scrutiny and limited VIP junket operations in line with Beijing’s directives.

Interestingly, although visitor numbers increased by 300,000 compared to the 2025 Chinese New Year, the gross gaming revenue only saw a modest 4.5% rise. This reflects the evolving market dynamics focused on sustainability and broader customer bases.

Outlook for 2026 Gaming Revenue

Although the year is still in its early months, projections for March indicate a promising trend with anticipated gross gaming revenue growth of approximately 13% year-over-year, amounting to about MOP 22.2 billion (around $2.75 billion). This signals potential continued expansion and recovery for Macau’s gaming and tourism sectors throughout 2026.