Sands China reported strong demand during the October Golden Week, with tight room availability for the first three days. Macau welcomed 169,000 visitors on the holiday’s opening day, with overall rates similar to previous years. The airport received around 8,000 visitors, while the Taipa Ferry Terminal saw more than 7,000 arrivals, contributing to the city’s busy atmosphere.
Executive Vice Chairman Wilfred Wong stated that hotel occupancy across Sands China properties would remain above 90% after October 3. Room rates saw a slight increase on peak holiday dates but are expected to stabilize once the busiest period passes. Wong noted that overall pricing remained consistent with previous Golden Week holidays.
Mainland and Hong Kong visitors were the largest customer groups, while international visitors primarily came from Southeast Asia, Japan, and South Korea. Their share showed no significant increase. Sands’ resorts also offered special performances alongside regular weekend programs.
Macau’s border checkpoints recorded over 706,000 total crossings on October 1, including residents and travelers. Visitor crossings in both directions amounted to approximately 321,000, with departures exceeding 151,000. Crowds flocked to popular attractions like the Ruins of St. Paul’s and Senado Square, with long queues observed at the Border Gate for buses.
The Border Gate handled the majority of visitor arrivals, with over 82,000, followed by Hengqin (37,000) and the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge checkpoint (21,000).
Police had forecast 5.2 to 5.4 million total border crossings during the seven-day holiday, with peak traffic expected on October 3 and 4, potentially exceeding 800,000 crossings per day. They planned to adjust checkpoint staffing and open additional immigration channels as needed.
Macao Government Tourism Office Director Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes described the holiday’s start as promising, with encouraging visitor flows and hotel occupancy. She said full holiday figures remained to be assessed and hoped arrivals would meet the industry’s expectation of an average of 150,000 visitors a day. Senna Fernandes highlighted temporary pedestrian areas in Taipa Village and Rua de Nossa Senhora do Amparo, along with the fireworks competition, as initiatives to encourage exploration and spending.
The 34th Macao International Fireworks Display Contest featured teams from Thailand and China on October 1. Its closing night on 4 October will feature teams from the Philippines at 9:00 pm and the United Kingdom at 9:40 pm, with displays over the sea opposite Macau Tower. The final fireworks display will be followed by a drone show with over 3,400 drones.
