Macau welcomed 19.22 million visitors in the first half of 2025, a 14.9 percent increase compared to the same period last year, according to the latest data released by the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC). The city’s gaming hub’s tourism recovery continued, witnessing 2.89 million visitors in June alone, reflecting a 13.3 percent year-on-year jump.
Chinese mainland leads the way
Of the 19.22 million visitors, 13.77 million came from mainland China. The figure accounts for more than 70 percent of total arrivals and represents a 19.3 percent spike from 2024. The Individual Visit Scheme (IVS) continues to dominate as the preferred entry route, with 7.41 million Chinese travellers using this visa scheme, a 24.6 percent rise from the previous year. Meanwhile, 867,492 visitors visited Macau using the ‘one trip per week measure.’ Some 241,257 entries were made under ‘multiple-entry measure’ and 72,149 under the ‘tourist group multi-entry measure’.
Visitors from the nine cities within the Pearl River Delta segment of the Greater Bay Area hit 7.02 million, a 25.7 percent increase. Among them, Zhuhai stood out with a 57 percent surge, owing largely to its direct land links and promotional tourism tie-ins with Macau. Hong Kong contributed 3.65 million visitors, up by 1.1 percent. Meanwhile, Taiwan showed more dynamic growth with 461,735 arrivals, a 14 percent year-on-year increase.
International tourists up 14.8%
The international tourism segment is also showing solid recovery signs, with 1.34 million visitors marking a 14.8 percent. increase. Among the top source markets, South Korea led with 282,151 visitors, reflecting a 21.7 percent rise. Japan followed with 76,435 visitors, marking a 23.5 percent increase. The Philippines contributed 273,715 visitors, up by 16.8 percent, while Indonesia saw 104,608 arrivals, representing a 13.8 percent growth. From across the Pacific, 76,457 Americans made their way to Macau, a 9.9 percent boost compared to 2024.
Land border crossings remained the dominant visitor entry point, accounting for 82.1 percent of total arrivals at 15.78 million people. This figure is up 20.4 percent year-on-year. Among these, the Border Gate checkpoint rose by 25.5 percent, and Hengqin Port saw a 40.6 percent spike.
January to May figures
In May, Macau visitor arrivals soared by 25.3 percent year-on-year, fueled by a wave of same-day tourism and renewed interest from both regional and international travelers. Same-day visitors jumped 39.2 percent to nearly 2 million travelers in May. Meanwhile, overnight visitors increased by 9.4 percent to 1.38 million. Despite the influx, the average length of stay fell slightly to 1.1 days, hinting at the growing preference for quick trips. For same-day visitors, the stay remained a quick 0.2 days, while overnight stays averaged 2.3 days.
From January to May, total visitor arrivals rose 15.2 percent year-on-year to reach 16.33 million. With same-day visitors rising 26.4 percent to over 9.57 million, overnight visitors also rose 2.4 percent to 6.76 million. For the five-month period, the average length of stay for all visitors dropped by 0.1 day to 1.1 days. However, the average stay for overnight visitors increased slightly to 2.3 days.
In another development, Macau’s 바카라 industry recorded a major milestone in the second quarter of 2025, delivering its strongest performance since the pandemic began. Total gaming revenue reached MOP61.26 billion for the quarter, marking a 9 percent year-on-year increase, according to new figures from the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ). The quarterly surge was led by bacccarat. Total baccarat revenue climbed to MOP51.91 billion, up 8 percent when comparing to the same period last year. This is the game’s best month since Q4 2019 and signals a robust return of high-roller activity.
