Macau records strong visitor inflow for Chinese New Year
Macau recorded 264,000 visitor arrivals, according to operational figures attributed to the Public Security Police Force (PSPF) and reported by local broadcaster TDM, marking the opening phase of the Chinese New Year travel period in the world’s largest regulated casino market.
The arrivals figure reflects early inbound movement at the start of the Mainland China Spring Festival holiday window, one of the busiest annual operating periods for integrated casino resorts in Macau. Visitor flows during this period typically drive peak demand across gaming floors, hotels and entertainment venues tied to concessionaire operations.
Early arrivals exceed forecast
Authorities recorded the total using immigration checkpoint data compiled through border crossings managed by PSPF. The reported traffic included around 132,000 inbound visitors within the operational breakdown, with travellers entering through multiple control points including the Border Gate, the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridge, the airport and other land and transport checkpoints. These entry channels form the primary access routes feeding tourism demand into Macau’s casino districts during major holidays.
The early arrivals figure sits above previously communicated expectations issued ahead of the holiday. The Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) had projected daily visitor volumes between 158,000 and 175,000 people during the nine-day Chinese New Year period. MGTO Director Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes said before the holiday that “We are looking at a daily average of between 158,000 and 175,000 visitors. This is the range we are looking for. If we are counting for nine days, we are looking at between 140,000 and 155,000 people.”
Operational arrival data released during peak travel periods differs from Macau’s formal statistical reporting cycle. The PSPF figures are used for near real-time immigration statistics for crowd management purposes, while the tourism statistics are verified and published through the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) later. This is important for the stakeholders because the early operational statistics give an immediate indication of visitor momentum before the official monthly figures are finalised.
The Chinese New Year is still one of the key events in the operating schedule of the casinos in Macau. This festive event has always been associated with one of the largest spikes in demand for visitors annually. Casino operators closely monitor early arrival patterns because they help signal the pace of foot traffic entering the market during the first days of the holiday window.
Historical data shows the magnitude of tourism activity associated with this period. According to DSEC statistics, Macau had over 3.1 million visitor arrivals in February 2025, and close to 6.8 million in the first two months of that year. Although these numbers are not daily figures but aggregated data, they do indicate the extent to which seasonal tourism is a factor in maintaining gaming-related economic activity in the concession system.
Checkpoint data highlights visitor routes
The distribution of checkpoint data also offers information on the way in which visitors enter the city during peak periods. The land border checkpoints remain the main entry point for visitors, which is a result of Macau’s integration with mainland cities and Hong Kong. The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge has become an important channel for the entry of holiday visitors.
For both the regulators and the operators, the early holiday arrival figures are more of an operational indicator than a performance measure. The immigration authorities make use of the data to control the flow of people and transport pressure, while the casino resorts adjust their human resources, hospitality, and floor operations to cater to the increased density of visitors during the festival season.
The 15 February reading is the initial stage of the Chinese New Year tourist movement, with tourist arrivals expected to change over the course of the Chinese New Year period. The total number of tourist arrivals will be included in DSEC’s regular reporting schedule once the statistics are compiled.
Subscribe HERE to SiGMA’s Top 10 News countdown and SiGMA’s weekly newsletter to stay up to date with all the latest iGaming News from the world’s iGaming authority, and benefit from subscriber-only offers.
