Macau eyes stronger summer tourism despite travel disruptions
Macau is expecting another busy summer tourism season, with officials forecasting visitor arrivals could rise by around 10 per cent compared to last year, despite growing concerns over global travel disruptions linked to tensions in the Middle East.
The optimistic outlook follows a strong start to 2026, with the city continuing to attract visitors from mainland China and a growing number of international markets. According to figures released by Macau’s Statistics and Census Service, the city welcomed almost 14.66 million visitors between January and April, marking a 13.1 per cent increase compared to the same period in 2025.
China stays biggest contributor
Much of that growth was driven by mainland China, Macau’s largest tourism source market. Arrivals from the mainland rose 15.7 per cent year-on-year during the first four months of the year, helping fuel a broader recovery across the tourism sector.
Speaking to local media, Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) Director Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes said that authorities hope the momentum seen so far can continue through the summer holiday period, which is traditionally one of the busiest travel seasons for the city.
Beyond mainland China, Macau has also seen encouraging growth from several international markets. Between January and April, the city welcomed just over one million visitors from markets outside Greater China, representing a 10.7 per cent increase from a year earlier.
South Korea remained Macau’s biggest international source market during the first four months of the year, bringing in more than 225,000 visitors. The Philippines was not far behind with over 183,000 arrivals. The steady growth from both markets suggests Macau is becoming less reliant on a handful of visitor sources as it continues to attract travellers from across the region.
Thailand has emerged as another bright spot. Visitor arrivals from the country climbed nearly 60 per cent to almost 89,000 during the first four months of the year.
Tourism officials are now actively promoting multi-destination travel packages linking Macau with cities across the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area. The strategy aims to encourage longer stays and attract travellers looking to combine several destinations into a single trip.
Shadow of war looms
The positive tourism outlook comes despite uncertainty surrounding the ongoing conflict involving Iran and broader tensions in the Middle East. Industry observers have cautioned that a prolong crisis will eventually affect travel demand, airline operations and consumer spending, particularly if higher oil prices make international travel more expensive.
However, the MGTO Director said authorities have not yet seen any noticeable impact on visitor arrivals. She added that it remains too early to assess whether the situation will have any meaningful effect on Macau’s tourism performance in the months ahead.
Some travel disruptions have already been reported. According to local industry representatives, flight cancellations involving Middle Eastern transit hubs such as Dubai, Doha and Abu Dhabi have affected certain tour groups travelling to Macau from Europe.
The Macau government has also issued travel advisories related to Iran and Israel, while tourism assistance services have reportedly handled requests linked to cancelled tours and travel refunds.
For now, however, the recovery remains intact. With visitor numbers continuing to rise across key source markets and international arrivals maintaining steady growth, officials are hoping that growth continues, even as global geopolitical uncertainties continue.
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