Macau’s tourism authority expects visitor arrivals during the upcoming May holiday season, encompassing Labour Day on May 1, to be broadly unchanged from a year earlier, notwithstanding uncertainties linked to rising aviation costs and flight disruptions.
“According to current projections, visitor arrivals for the 2026 Labour Day holiday [period] are anticipated to remain at a level similar to the corresponding period last year,” the Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) said in a written reply to GGRAsia.
It added: “We are mindful of the recent rise in flight costs and cancellations resulting from higher fuel prices and will continue to monitor the situation closely.”
For mainland residents, this year’s Labour Day holiday period runs for five days, from May 1 to May 5 inclusive, per the State Council.
The outlook suggests a stable performance for what is typically one of Macau’s busiest holiday periods, though external pressures on regional air travel are said to have become more pronounced.
Recent increases in jet fuel prices have led to higher operating costs for airlines, prompting fare hikes, route adjustments and, in some cases, flight cancellations. Such developments, according to observers, have affected outbound travel sentiment in mainland China and elsewhere in Asia, particularly for long-haul trips.
Macau recorded solid visitor volumes during last year’s Labour Day holiday break, with total arrivals for the period reaching circa 850,000, according to official data.
Amid the aviation-related headwinds, Macau’s tourism sector benefits from its proximity to key source markets, particularly the Chinese mainland.
Andy Wu Keng Kuong, president of the Travel Industry Council of Macau, said in recent comments to GGRAsia that higher airfares could encourage mainland Chinese travellers to opt for destinations closer to home, such as Macau and Hong Kong, during the May holiday period.
“We may see 170,000 visitor arrivals per day – or even a volume above that level – for the Labour Day holiday” season, he stated. Even the lower level would imply at least 850,000 arrivals for the May holidays this time.
