The Macau Government Tourism Office reported 1.554 million visitor arrivals over the nine-day Spring Festival/Golden Week holiday period. Authorities had projected as many as 1.5 million visitors for the celebrations, which began on 15 February with Chinese New Year.
Data released on Wednesday indicated that average daily arrivals surpassed 173,000, marking a 5.5% increase compared with 2025. Hotel performance remained strong, with average occupancy reaching 95.6% throughout the holiday and peaking at 99.2% on 20 February.
As in previous years, the majority of travelers came from mainland China, averaging 134,000 per day — up 7.2% year-on-year. International tourism also recorded growth, with daily arrivals of 7,900 visitors, an 8.2% rise from 2025.
Golden Week continues to represent a key travel window for Macau, the only jurisdiction in China where casino gambling is permitted.
Premium mass came to play
The tourism upswing aligned with a 17% increase in premium mass wagering, which reached HKD24.4 million. This indicates that “premium mass demand remains robust,” according to Citigroup analysts George Choi and Timothy Chau. The number of premium mass players also edged higher, rising 3% to 824. On average, each player wagered HKD29,625 — a 13% increase from the previous year.
VIP activity showed notable strength as well. Citigroup’s whale watch recorded 53 high-value players at the tables during the holiday period, compared with just four in 2025. Collectively, these players wagered HK$11.3 million, averaging HK$213,000 per person.
Based on these trends, the Citigroup team projects total monthly gross gaming revenue of MOP20 billion, representing a modest 1% year-on-year gain.
