TLDR
- Macau’s tourism office projects around 10% year-on-year visitor growth this summer
- Visitor arrivals hit 14.66 million in January–April 2026, up 13.1% year-on-year
- Mainland China remains the top market, with arrivals up 15.7%
- Thailand arrivals surged nearly 60%, reaching 88,819 in the first four months
- South Korea and the Philippines ranked second and third among international markets
Macau could see visitor arrivals grow by around 10% this summer compared to last year, according to Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) director Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes. She said the office hopes momentum from early 2026 will carry into the peak travel season.
The forecast comes after a strong start to the year. From January to April 2026, Macau welcomed nearly 14.66 million visitors, a rise of 13.1% compared to the same period in 2025, according to the Statistics and Census Service.
Mainland China drove much of that growth. Arrivals from the mainland rose 15.7% year-on-year, continuing its position as Macau’s largest and most important source market.
Thailand Stands Out
One of the more striking trends came from Thailand. Arrivals from the country jumped nearly 60% year-on-year in the first four months of 2026, reaching 88,819 visitors.
MGTO has been working to attract more travellers from Southeast Asia. Part of that effort involves promoting multi-destination itineraries that link Macau with cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area.
The strategy appears to be gaining traction. Connecting Macau to the wider Bay Area helps position it as part of a broader travel route rather than a standalone destination.
Broader International Growth
Beyond Thailand and mainland China, Macau also saw more visitors from a wide range of international markets. In the January-to-April period, 1.01 million tourists arrived from markets outside Greater China, up 10.7% from the same time last year.
South Korea ranked second among international markets, with 225,541 arrivals, up 7.7%. The Philippines came in third with 183,293 visitors, a rise of 8.0%.
The spread of growth across multiple markets points to a more diversified visitor base entering the summer period.
MGTO’s summer projection of around 10% growth reflects the office’s view that early-year trends will hold through the busiest travel months. Officials have not pointed to any single factor but noted that current momentum across key source markets supports the outlook.
The summer holiday period typically brings higher demand for travel across Asia, and Macau has historically seen strong footfall during these months.
Whether arrivals hit the 10% target will depend on factors including travel demand from mainland China and continued interest from Southeast Asian markets like Thailand.
The figures released so far suggest Macau is entering the summer season on firm footing, with visitor numbers already tracking ahead of last year across most of its key markets.
