Macau June visitor arrivals fall 3.1% as overnight tourism weakens
Macau’s visitor arrivals continued to grow during the first half of the year. However, June’s figures point to a shift in visitor patterns, with overnight visitors declining. At the same time, SJM Resorts expanded its community tourism initiatives. The programme highlights Macau’s attempts to strengthen its non-gaming appeal despite limited hotel capacity.
Decline in overnight visitors weighs on June arrivals
According to Macau’s Statistics and Census Service (DSEC), visitor arrivals fell 3.1 per cent year on year to approximately 2.8 million in June. The decline was mainly driven by a 9 per cent drop in overnight visitors, while same-day visitors increased 1.6 per cent to 1.64 million.
The average stay for overnight visitors remained unchanged at 2.4 days. However, the overall average length of stay fell by 0.1 days year on year to 1.1 days, showing a continued tilt towards shorter visits.
FIFA World Cup diverts gaming demand
The market generally attributed part of June’s weaker performance to the FIFA World Cup, which redirected gaming spending. Citigroup had forecast that Macau’s gross gaming revenue (GGR) would decline by around 10 per cent year on year during the tournament. Final figures showed June GGR fell 12.1 per cent. Total betting turnover also dropped 38 per cent year on year, reaching its lowest level since the pandemic.
Following the results, Macquarie lowered its annual Macau GGR growth forecast from 7.7 per cent to 5.4 per cent, reflecting weaker expectations for gaming revenue growth during the second half of the year.
First half growth powered by same-day visitors
Despite June’s slowdown, Macau welcomed 20.94 million visitors during the first half of the year, up 9.0 per cent year on year. Growth was concentrated among same-day visitors, who increased by 15.3 per cent to 12.89 million. Overnight visitors rose only 0.2 per cent to 8.05 million.
Visitors from mainland China increased 11 per cent, while arrivals from Taiwan rose 24.7 per cent. Visitors from Thailand increased by more than 50 per cent, whereas arrivals from the Philippines declined by 1.2 per cent.
Non-gaming spending also reached a record high during the first quarter. Total non-gaming expenditure climbed 24.5 per cent year on year to MOP24.43 billion (approximately US$3.03 billion), while average non-gaming spending per visitor increased 9.5 per cent to MOP2,179 (approximately US$270.5).
CreditSights said slower economic growth in mainland China is likely to limit spending per visitor. As a result, continued growth in visitor numbers will become increasingly important for Macau’s tourism industry.
Hotel room shortage limits overnight tourism growth
The rising share of same-day visitors is directly related to Macau’s limited hotel room supply. A senior executive at Melco Resorts & Entertainment said Macau has around 46,000 hotel rooms. By comparison, Las Vegas has about 153,000. This is considered one of the reasons for the city’s relatively high proportion of day trip visitors.
Under the Macau SAR Government’s “1+4” Economic Diversification Strategy for 2024 to 2028, the government plans to increase the contribution of non-gaming industries to GDP from less than 10 per cent in 2019 to 60 per cent by 2028.
By 2023, gaming’s share of Macau’s GDP had already fallen from more than 50 per cent to 37.2 per cent. Some Macau legislators have urged the government to accelerate implementation of the strategy. They noted that gaming still accounts for about 18.9 per cent of local employment, while non-gaming industries have expanded more slowly.
SJM Resorts expands community tourism programme
As Macau attracts an increasing number of same-day as well as short-stay visitors, SJM Resorts has announced the second phase of its “Adventure Bus: Discover the Community” programme.
The expanded programme runs from 17 July to 3 January next year. It introduces new departures from Grand Lisboa, adds Friday services during the summer holiday period and increases services during the National Day, Christmas and New Year holidays.
Since its launch in April, the programme has helped drive visitor traffic into local communities while creating business opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises.
Non-gaming investment accelerates across Macau
SJM Resorts’ community tourism initiative forms part of a wider push to expand non-gaming attractions. The operator began renovating Grand Lisboa Hotel in 2023 as part of its non-gaming investment commitments. Meanwhile, Galaxy Entertainment Group is targeting 2027 for the completion of Phase 4 of Galaxy Macau, positioning the expansion as a predominantly non-gaming integrated resort destination.
Grant Chum, Chief Executive Officer of Sands China, recently said that Macau’s next phase of growth will depend on integrating hardware and software, combining physical infrastructure with branding, talent development, and destination marketing, rather than depending solely on new construction.
Compared with large-scale developments that take years to complete, SJM Resorts’ community tourism programme is a relatively low-cost initiative that can generate immediate visitor traffic and spending while larger non-gaming projects remain under development.
Can community tourism convert day visitors into overnight guests?
SJM Resorts’ approach echoes wider industry efforts to strengthen non-gaming offerings. It follows the recent appointment of cultural executive Angelita Teo as Vice President of Attractions at Marina Bay Sands, reflecting how integrated resort operators are increasingly using experience-driven attractions to maintain visitor numbers and promote longer stays rather than relying exclusively on gaming revenue.
For suppliers and investors, the key question is whether relatively low-cost community tourism projects can convert more same-day visitors into overnight guests, while also increasing non-gaming spending, particularly while hotel room supply remains constrained and the impact of the FIFA World Cup fades.
If the “Adventure Bus: Discover the Community” programme continues to generate strong visitor traffic following its successful launch in April, other licensed operators may take up similar initiatives, providing a transitional solution for Macau’s tourism sector until larger infrastructure projects are completed.
This article was first published on the Chinese SiGMA News page on 20 July 2026.
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