Total spending by tourists in Macau in the second quarter of 2023, excluding gambling expenses, increased by 16.7 percent compared to the previous quarter, to MOP17.48 billion (US$2.16 billion), said the city’s Statistics and Census Service in an announcement on Wednesday.
The jump was still below the 35.3-percent sequential increase in visitor arrivals for the same period, to just under 6.7 million tourists.
Non-gaming spending sequential growth in the second quarter was also slower than the increase in gross gaming revenue (GGR) for the same period.
In July, the city’s gaming regulator had said second-quarter casino GGR stood at MOP45.49 billion, up 31.3 percent from MOP34.64 billion in the first three months of 2023.
The statistics bureau noted in Wednesday’s statement that in the April to June period visitors spent an average of MOP2,610 while visiting Macau. That compared to an average spending of MOP3,027 in the previous quarter.
Shopping accounted for 48.5 percent of total non-gaming spending by visitors in the second quarter, followed by accommodation (24.5 percent), and food and beverage (17.4 percent).
Development of non-gaming activities has been identified by the city’s government as an important element in Macau’s effort at economic diversification. It was also a consideration for the local authorities when assessing the applications of casino companies for the new 10-year Macau gaming concessions that were awarded last year, and started in January.
The six Macau operators have as a whole pledged to the government to spend in aggregate a minimum of MOP108.7 billion on non-gaming and exploring overseas-customer markets during the fresh concessions. Collectively they will have to increase their pledged concession-related investment for the next decade by as much as 20 percent if citywide annual gross gaming revenue reaches MOP180 billion.
