Macau’s 2025 visitor tally could reach 36 million, or a circa 9-percent gain on this year’s projected 33 million. So said Lei Wai Nong (pictured in a file photo), the city’s Secretary for Economy and Finance, in comments at the Legislative Assembly on Thursday.
If realised, the 2025 volume would be a circa 91-percent recovery rate on the 39.4 million achieved in 2019, the trading year prior to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Mr Lei was replying to legislator questions about how the government had arrived at a MOP240-billion (US$29.9 billion) forecast for casino gross gaming revenue (GGR) in its 2025 budget proposal.
In his response, the official echoed Tuesday comments by the city’s Chief Executive, Ho Iat Seng.
Mr Lei – the secretary overseeing the city’s gaming industry – said the MOP240 billion was based on “cautious consideration”, and an assumption that Macau can this year achieve GGR of between MOP226 billion and MOP228 billion.
Macau casino GGR for the first 10 months this year stood at MOP190.14 billion, up 28.1 percent on the prior-year period.
The official also said the forecast of 33 million visitors for 2024 – made at the very start of the year – was “reachable”.
For the first 10 months this year, Macau witnessed just under 29.06 million visitor arrivals, up 28.1 percent year-on-year, and a circa 87 percent recovery rate on the equivalent period in 2019, the trading year before the Covid-19 pandemic.
