Macau's June Inbound Tourist Numbers Increase, Management Measures Adjusted

According to data from the Statistics and Census Service of Macau, Macau welcomed 2,343,451 inbound tourists on June 2008, an increase of 22% from the same month last year.

The data indicates that this June, the numbers of inbound tourists to Macau from the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and southeast Asian regions increased by 36.6%, 0.6% and 42.3%, respectively. The same-day-in-town visitors accounted for 53.1% of total number of inbound tourists to Macau.

Of the main source markets, 58% of tourists were from mainland China with the number of individual tourists reached over 490,000, accounting for 36.1%. Tourists from Hong Kong and southeast Asian regions accounted for 26.6% and 5.5%, respectively.

In the first half of this year, the total number of inbound tourists to Macau reached more than 14.925 million, representing a growth rate of 18.1% year-on-year.

Macau government has also announced that it will adjust the management measures for inbound and outbound tours. From August 1, 2008, limit of stay for Chinese mainland citizens holding passports and visiting Macau for the first time will be shortened from the original 14 days to seven; for the second visit,  tourists who intend to pass through Macau but not go abroad are permitted to stay in Macau for two days and a third visit will be rejected.

Starting from September 1, 2008, Chinese mainland citizens who hold a pass to and from Hong Kong and Macau but without a valid endorsement to Macau will be not allowed to enter Macau via Hong Kong.