Macau recorded nearly 279,400 visitor arrivals over the weekend as the Lunar New Year travel period began, according to preliminary data released by the city’s Public Security Police Force (PSPF).
On Sunday (February 15), the first day of the holiday period on the Chinese mainland, Macau welcomed 132,428 visitors. The Lunar New Year falls on February 17 (Tuesday) this year and traditionally marks one of the busiest seasons for Macau’s tourism and gaming sectors.
The Chinese mainland, Macau’s largest source of visitors, is observing a nine-day holiday lasting until Monday, February 23, a period that typically drives strong travel flows to the city.
Although officials did not disclose a breakdown of visitor origins, checkpoint statistics showed that the majority of arrivals during the first two days entered through the Border Gate (111,494), followed by the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge (54,400) and the Hengqin checkpoint (50,687).
The early total exceeded projections issued by the Macao Government Tourism Office, which had forecast daily arrivals of 158,000 to 175,000 during the nine-day holiday period.
Operational figures released during peak travel windows are compiled in near real-time by the PSPF for immigration and crowd management purposes. Official tourism data is later verified and published by the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) as part of its regular reporting cycle.
Historical data underscores the scale of seasonal tourism. According to DSEC, Macau recorded more than 3.1 million visitor arrivals in February 2025 and nearly 6.8 million in the first two months of the year.
Land border crossings continue to serve as the primary entry channel for visitors, reflecting Macau’s close connectivity with mainland cities and Hong Kong. The Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridge has emerged as a major route for holiday travellers in recent years.
Authorities use checkpoint data to manage passenger flows and transport capacity during peak periods, while casino operators adjust staffing, hospitality services, and gaming floor operations in response to increased foot traffic.
A survey conducted by GGRAsia found that many properties at casino resorts had sold out, or nearly sold out, available rooms for most nights during the holiday period.
Earlier in the month, Citi reported a pre-holiday softening in Macau’s gross gaming revenue. Nonetheless, the bank projected that combined gaming revenue for January and February would increase by 13.5% compared with the same period last year.
Kenneth Feng Xiaofeng, Chief Executive of MGM China Holdings Ltd, said during a February 5 earnings call that the current market has not experienced a notable decline in tourism demand ahead of major holidays.
Original article: https://www.yogonet.com/international/news/2026/02/17/117639-macau-logs-almost-280k-visitor-arrivals-at-start-of-lunar-new-year-holiday
