ap24
Ho noted that this year marks the 75 anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and the 25 anniversary of Macau’s return to the motherland.
https://www.macaupostdaily.com/article21368.html
apr24
O presidente da Associação Industrial e Comercial de Macau interpreta a vaga de encerramento de espaços comerciais como uma oportunidade de transformação e optimização. Ng Wah Wai explica também o fenómeno com o aumento das rendas depois da pandemia
A vaga de encerramentos de espaços comerciais nos bairros comunitários de Macau pode representar uma oportunidade. Esta é uma das formas como o presidente da Associação Industrial e Comercial de Macau, Ng Wah Wai, encara a situação. Sem reconhecer tratar-se de uma tendência, o representante explicou os encerramentos com três cenários possíveis.
Em declarações ao jornal Exmoo, Ng Wah Wai afirmou que o primeiro cenário pode ser a reconfiguração do tecido comercial, com empresas a apostarem na transformação e actualização dos seus negócios, procurando uma clientela estável. Por exemplo, uma cadeia de restaurantes com várias lojas pode optar por não se focar os bairros comunitários, onde a facturação baixou, e investir em abrir espaços nas superfícies geridas pelas concessionárias de jogo, “que têm vontade de cooperar com este tipo de comércio” que garante qualidade de serviços e produtos.
O segundo cenário prende-se com o custo das operações, nomeadamente o aumento das rendas dos espaços comerciais desde a pandemia. “Podem-se dar situações em que um negócio começou com uma renda mensal de 50 mil patacas e depois, com a renovação do contrato de arrendamento, passar para 100 mil patacas”, indicou. Apesar deste cenário conduzir ao fecho de lojas e a dificuldades financeiras de pequenas e médias empresas, o presidente da Associação Industrial e Comercial de Macau ressalva que podem surgir novos comerciantes que aceitem pagar as novas rendas para começar um negócio.
https://hojemacau.com.mo/2024/04/17/associacao-comercial-fecho-de-lojas-pode-ser-sinonimo-de-actualizacao/
apr24
5 Fastest Growing Economies in Asia in 2024
1. Macao Special Administrative Region of China
Real GDP Growth Rate (2024): 27.2%
GDP Per Capita Growth Rate (2024): 29.16%
Macao is the special administrative region of China and one of the fastest growing economies in Asia in 2024. Macao’s economy is booming with a real GDP growth rate of 27.2% and a GDP per capita growth rate of 29.16%.
https://www.insidermonkey.com/blog/5-fastest-growing-economies-in-asia-in-2024-1285136/5/
Macao’s migrant worker population increased by 766 from January to February of this year, according to Public Security Police Force data cited by the Labour Affairs Bureau. It now totals 178,327 or more than a quarter of Macao’s population.
The greatest number of nonresident workers (121,239) continue to come from mainland China, while the second biggest migrant community hails from the Philippines (29,311).
mar24
Harry Lai, CEO da Lai Si Construction Engineering, aponta que o sector da construção civil ainda não recuperou plenamente da crise gerada pela pandemia e que as empresas mais pequenas sofrem com falta de projectos na área das obras públicas e não conseguem competir com as de maior dimensão
mar24
Macau International Airport Company has reported MOP1.19 billion (US$150 million) in revenue for 2023 amid a return of travellers in large numbers to the city and a surge in cargo volume, suggesting a yearly increase of 179.8 per cent.
The stellar performance resulted in a profit of MOP220 million, making 2023 the first profitable year in three years.
According to the airport operator, approximately 5.15 million passengers were recorded last year.
In addition, the company also logged over 42,500 aircraft movements throughout the year.
https://www.macaubusiness.com/airport-operator-reports-first-profitable-year-since-covid/
mar24
The early termination of the contract for retail space leasing services at the Hong Kong-
Zhuhai-Macau Bridge was caused by challenges amid the post pandemic period, a security forces official has told the parliament.
The contract was between Beijing-financed Nam Kwong Group and the government and concerned leasing retail space at the Macau checkpoint of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge.
The contract was not set to expire until next year.
There was no prior explanation from the government. Lawmaker Si Ka Lon has questioned the Security Forces at a recent parliamentary interpellation session. Lawmakers Pereira Coutinho and Ron Lam also criticized the government for its lack of transparency in its handling of the matter.https://macaudailytimes.com.mo/pandemic-challenges-behind-nam-kwong-premature-closure-at-hzmb.html
mar24
O vice-presidente da CCPPC, Edmund Ho, alertou para o problema de muitas pequenas e médias empresas continuarem a enfrentar dificuldades após a pandemia. Para “minimizar os pontos fracos” da RAEM, Edmund Ho destacou a importância de “melhorar e optimizar de forma abrangente, e com determinação, o ambiente de negócios de Macau” e alcançar “grandes avanços” nas políticas no âmbito de quadros qualificados
https://jtm.com.mo/local/edmund-ho-defende-melhoria-abrangente-ambiente-comercial/
Mar24
A economia de Macau deverá crescer 13,9% este ano, estima o Fundo Monetário Internacional, apontando que, em 2025, o PIB deverá voltar ao nível registado antes da pandemia. O organismo internacional considera que o “ritmo desigual” de recuperação dos sectores jogo e não jogo carece de um “apoio contínuo” do Executivo. Refere também que a médio prazo a prioridade deve ser a diversificação económica, e, para isso, Macau precisa de “reformas abrangentes” quanto à integração na Grande Baía. Por outro lado, o aumento da produtividade está, em parte, dependente da digitalização e da inovação, com o FMI a defender ainda a simplificação dos processos de recrutamento de trabalhadores do exterior
https://jtm.com.mo/local/ritmo-desigual-de-retoma-dos-sectores-exige-apoio-continuo-governo/
mar24
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) expects that Macau’s gross domestic product (GDP) will grow by 13.9 per cent in 2024, driven by the continued recovery of the gaming sector and solid private investment.
The preliminary conclusion was made after an IMF delegation visited Macau recently – from 21 February to 6 March.
In a financial assessment published after the tour, the organisation said that Macau’s GDP was on course to maintain robust growth in 2024 and regain its pre-pandemic level in 2025.
https://www.macaubusiness.com/macaus-gdp-to-soar-13-9-pct-this-year-2025-sees-return-to-pre-covid-level-imf/
fve24
A maioria dos crimes registados no ano passado cresceu em relação a 2022, mas a situação geral continua aquém dos níveis de 2019, indicou ontem o Secretário para a Segurança, num balanço sobre 2023. Contudo, os crimes de burla e extorsão através de telefone e Internet subiram tanto em termos anuais, como em relação ao ano pré-pandemia, num total de mais de 1.300 casos. Por outro lado, verificaram-se 36 casos de abuso sexual de crianças e 41 crimes de violação, salientando-se, neste último caso, que as vítimas não residentes representaram 80% do total
https://jtm.com.mo/local/criminalidade-aumentou-em-2023-mas-continua-abaixo-nivel-pre-pandemia/
mar24
Macao’s economy grew by 80.5 percent last year, with per capita gross domestic product (GDP) reaching 560,000 patacas (US$69,700), according to preliminary data released yesterday by the Statistics and Census Service (known by its Portuguese initials DSEC).
The surge in growth, attributed primarily to the return of tourism, saw GDP hit 80 percent of the level attained in 2019 – the last full year before Covid-19 restrictions put an effective chokehold on Macao’s biggest industry for three years.
https://macaonews.org/news/business/macau-gdp-2023-macao-2/
fev24
In 2023, Macao welcomed only 71.6 percent of the visitors recorded in pre-pandemic 2019, but the latest data from the Statistics and Census Service (commonly referred to by its Portuguese initials DSEC) shows that they spent substantially more.
According to the latest DSEC data, the total visitor spending on activities besides gambling reached 71.25 billion patacas in 2023 – an 11.2 percent rise over the corresponding figure in 2019, the last full year before the Covid-19 pandemic struck.
The average per capita spend in 2023 was 2,525 patacas, a surge of more than 55 percent over the 2019 figure. However, year-on-year, this figure marks an almost 21 percent decrease from 2022, when Macao was one of the few destinations to which mainland Chinese could travel freely under the country’s onerous pandemic restrictions. Many came to Macao to splurge as a result, often picking up luxury goods.
https://macaonews.org/news/business/macau-visitor-spending-2023-tourism-macao/
fv24
Despite robust economic growth and recovering consumer spending, restaurants and retailers in non-touristy areas are far from recovery.
The recent 10-day Chinese New Year holiday period remains an important barometer for consumption, which has been lagging due to the country’s continued property crisis and macroeconomic headwinds.
While restaurants and retailers in tourist areas have recorded a surge in sales, those in the city’s community areas are not seeing signs of recovery~
https://macaudailytimes.com.mo/chan-chak-mo-business-in-non-tourist-areas-far-from-recovery.html
fev24 CNY
The first seven days of this year’s Spring Festival Golden Week saw a rise in visitors to Macau of 2.55% to 1,232,569 visitors, 30,657 more than 2019, according to Public Security Police Force (PSP) official figures cited by the Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO).
Nevertheless, 2019 had the most visitors in a single day, with 226,326 on the third day of the new year. By contrast, this year was 8,785 short with only 217,541 visitors.
This year’s higher visitor count occurred on the first three days of the Lunar New Year, with entries always significantly higher than in 2019, as the Times reported late last week.
https://macaudailytimes.com.mo/2024-cny-arrivals-beat-2019-by-a-whisker-hotel-occupancy-at-95.html
fev24 CNY
The tally of visitor arrivals from all source markets to Macau during the Chinese mainland’s lunar new year festivities passed the 1 million mark by the end of Thursday, the sixth day of China’s eight-day holiday marking the Year of the Dragon.
Thursday’s aggregate was 176,942, pushing the tally for the first six days to nearly 1.08 million. The update was given by Macau’s Public Security Police, the agency responsible for monitoring the region’s immigration checkpoints.
The volume for the first six days this time was 3.7 percent higher than the just under 1.04 million that arrived in the first six days of the same break in the pre-pandemic trading year of 2019, when the holiday lasted seven days and started on February 4, 2019. That is according to historical data from the city’s Statistics and Census Service.
https://www.ggrasia.com/first-6-days-cny-see-4pct-more-macau-visits-vs-2019-comp/
fev24 (Cartões de credito)
Os pagamentos em atraso durante mais de três meses relacionados com os cartões de crédito cresceram cerca de 12,3 por cento no quarto trimestre do ano passado, face ao período homólogo, de acordo com os dados publicados ontem pela Autoridade Monetária de Macau (AMCM).
Entre Outubro e Dezembro, o montante das dívidas relacionadas com cartões de crédito que ficaram por pagar mais de três meses cresceu para 79,5 milhões de patacas. Em comparação com o período de 2022, quando as dívidas por saldar há mais de três meses se cifraram em 70,8 milhões de patacas, registou-se um crescimento de 12,3 por cento, o que significa 8,7 milhões de patacas.
A diferença é maior quando a comparação é feita com o último trimestre de 2019, o último ano antes de se sentirem os efeitos da pandemia da covid-19. No quarto trimestre desse ano, as dívidas que estavam há mais de três meses por pagar relacionadas com os cartões de crédito não iam além dos 61,4 milhões de patacas. Entre 2019 e 2023, deu-se assim um aumento de quase 30 por cento, ou 18,1 milhões de patacas.
https://hojemacau.com.mo/2024/02/07/cartoes-de-credito-pagamentos-em-atraso-crescem-87-milhoes/
fev24 (pagamento de dividendos)
Fitch Ratings Inc now expects Macau casino operator Sands China Ltd to resume dividend payments “in 2026”, it said in a Thursday note. In a previous update in July, the institution had mentioned such payments might resume in 2025.
The credit institution has upped the long-term issuer default ratings for Sands China’s parent Las Vegas Sands Corp, as well as for the Macau unit and the Singapore unit, Marina Bay Sands Pte Ltd, to investment grade, i.e., ‘BBB-’ from ‘BB+’. The institution described the group’s rating outlook as ‘stable’.
Factors in its decision included anticipated improvement in the overall group’s earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) leverage.
https://www.ggrasia.com/fitch-now-thinks-sands-china-dividend-resumption-in-2026/Macau recorded 176,661 non-resident workers, commonly referred to as blue card holders, by the end of December 2023, constituting 90 per cent of the December 2019 count, prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Figures from the Labour Affairs Bureau indicate that the city gained 21,749 migrant workers last year.
jan24
Total international visitor arrivals to the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area (GBA) are forecast to recover to the pre-pandemic level at close to 130 million by the end of 2024, Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) research has concluded.
The research project, titled ‘The Development of an Automated and Self-Adaptive Tourism Demand Forecasting Platform for the Greater Bay Area (GBA-TDFP)’, was carried out by the PolyU School of Hotel and Tourism Management.
Based on the short-term results derived from the recently developed platform, the research team anticipates a notable resurgence in visitor arrivals to Macau, Hong Kong, and cities within the Greater Bay Area (GBA) of mainland China.
https://www.macaubusiness.com/gba-overseas-visitors-expected-to-recover-to-pre-covid-level-by-2024-study/
jan24
The Macau government has confirmed the city welcomed more than 28 million visitors in full-year 2023, a daily average of nearly 77,300, according to data published on Monday by the city’s Statistics and Census Service.
The 28.21 million figure represented a recovery to about 70 percent compared to 2019, the last trading year before the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in early 2020.
The number of mainland visitors rose by 273.1 percent year-on-year to just below 19.05 million, accounting for 67.5 percent of the full-year tally.
https://www.ggrasia.com/macau-overseas-arrivals-in-2023-at-48pct-of-pre-covid/
jan24
A Associação Económica de Macau acredita que o Produto Interno Bruto de 2023 já registou uma recuperação em cerca de 80 por cento para níveis pré-pandemia. As previsões apontam para um cenário de estabilidade económica durante o primeiro trimestre deste ano. Além disso, tendo em conta que Macau continua a ser o principal destino turístico para os visitantes do interior da China, a associação estima ainda que o primeiro trimestre deste ano será marcado por um cenário de estabilidade económica. No Índice ontem divulgado, e tendo em conta cálculos preliminares, a associação apontou que o PIB do último trimestre de 2023 terá rondado as 98,9 mil milhões de patacas, um aumento de 88 por cento face ao último trimestre de 2022. Por sua vez, em comparação com o quarto trimestre de 2019, o PIB de 2023 terá atingido 87 por cento do PIB registado nesse período pré-pandemia.
Hoje Macau 16/1/24
jan24
O mercado de massas do jogo representou 75,3% das receitas brutas dos casinos de Macau em 2023 e atingiu cerca de 88% do nível registado no ano anterior à pandemia, revelam dados da Direcção de Inspecção e Coordenação de Jogos. Já as receitas do bacará corresponderam a apenas um terço da era pré-covid
https://jtm.com.mo/local/mercado-de-massas-jogo-recuperou-88-em-2023/
jan24
Macao’s Tourist Price Index went up by 26 percent in the fourth quarter of 2023, when compared with the same period a year prior, new Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) figures reveal.
Hotel room rates were the surge’s biggest driver, with the accommodation index rising by a whopping 179 percent year-on-year (note that Macao was still imposing strict border restrictions in the fourth quarter of 2022, meaning that demand for rooms was negligible).
Compared with the third quarter of 2023, the accommodation index went up a still significant 20 percent, however – owing to high rates charged during the National Day holiday and the Macau Grand Prix, DSEC stated.
https://macaonews.org/news/business/macau-tourist-price-index-fourth-quarter-2023-macao/
jan24
About 1.46 million foreign passport holders visited Macao last year, making up 5.17 percent of total arrivals, according to Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) director Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes. She spoke to media at the airport yesterday, as Air Macau launched its first flight to Kuala Lumpur.
Senna Fernandes described the flow of foreign arrivals as “good,” given the global airline industry had yet to fully bounce back from the three-year Covid-19 pandemic.
While 2023’s total tourism influx managed to recover to 70 percent of the tally in pre-pandemic 2019, last year’s international visitors made up less than half of their 2019 total – which was about three million.
https://macaonews.org/news/city/macau-foreign-tourists-visitors-2023-macao/
jan24
Market share
- Sands China – Nov. 2019: 24 percent; Nov.2023: 24.5 percent
- Galaxy – Nov. 2019: 19.5 percent; Nov. 2023: 16.5 percent
- MGM China – Nov. 2019: 10 percent; Nov. 2023: 16.5 percent
- SJM – Nov. 2019: 16.5 percent; Nov. 2023: 13 percent
- Melco – Nov. 2019: 16.5 percent; Nov. 2023: 15.5 percent
- Wynn – Nov. 2019: 13.5 percent; Nov. 2023: 14 percent
https://agbrief.com/intelligence/deep-dive/09/01/2024/under-the-scope-2023-winners-and-losers-in-macau-the-philippines-and-singapore/?utm_source=Asia+Gaming+Brief&utm_campaign=07a84f893e-AGB%3A+%2301817+Wednesday%2C+10th+January%2C+2024&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_51950b5d21-07a84f893e-%5BLIST_EMAIL_ID%5D&ct=t%28AGB%3A+%2301817+Wednesday%2C+10th+January%2C+2024%29&goal=0_51950b5d21-07a84f893e-%5BLIST_EMAIL_ID%5D&mc_cid=07a84f893e&mc_eid=31e20475e6
jan24
“Sizeable headwinds remain” for recovery of outbound overseas tourism from China “in 2024 and possibly 2025,” says a report from banking group Nomura.
The institution added in its Monday memo that “supply-side constraints” had “eased,” in terms of things such as volume of available flights and their cost, and the availability of exit visas for Chinese.
But the weakness of China’s currency the yuan relative to some other major currencies; the condition of the domestic economy; “stagnated” income growth; and high youth unemployment, meant that the “demand side” drag on Chinese consumers’ appetite for outbound travel, was “now starting to kick in”.
https://www.ggrasia.com/china-travel-unlikely-this-year-to-match-2019-nomura/
jan24
Macao’s airport processed a total of 5.15 million passengers last year, equating to 54 percent of its 2019 volume, according to a statement released by its operator.
Mainland Chinese made up 58 percent of passenger numbers at the airport in 2023, and the Taiwanese made up 15 percent. Southeast Asian nationals made up 27 percent, reflecting Macao’s large Philippine and Indonesian expatriate populations.
This is in contrast to a 70 percent recovery in overall tourism numbers, according to provisional data from the Macao Government Tourism Office. Most visitors arrive by Macao’s land crossings, or by bridge or ferry from neighbouring Hong Kong.
https://macaonews.org/news/business/macau-airport-passenger-volume-2023-macao-2/
jan24
Macau’s tourism industry ended 2023 on a high, setting a new post-pandemic record of 175,030 daily visitors on New Year’s Eve, according to provisional data from the Macau Government Tourism Office (MGTO).
The city welcomed about 28.23 million visitors in full-year 2023, a daily average of circa 77,000, said the tourism office in a Monday press release. The figure represented a recovery to about 70 percent compared to 2019, the last trading year before the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in early 2020.
“With the full reopening of the borders in 2023, the number of visitors to Macau maintained an upward trend, with the tourist industry showing good recovery and growth prospects, showcasing the attractiveness of Macau as a global tourism and leisure centre,” stated the MGTO.
https://www.ggrasia.com/macau-visitor-numbers-top-28mln-in-2023-mgto/MACAU’S PURCHASING POWER IN 2023 NEARLY 30% LOWER THAN PRE-PANDEMIC LEVELS
Many Macao residents are gearing up for a Christmas abroad, according to the Travel Industry Council.
Chairman of the council Andy Wu told local media that he had witnessed a surge of people booking international holidays over the Christmas period – in spite of hefty seasonal price hikes from airlines.
Popular destinations included Japan, South Korea and Thailand, he said.
Wu said he believed outbound travel had recovered by between 80 and 90 percent when compared to pre-pandemic levels.
He also noted that while Christmas is not a holiday on the Chinese mainland as it is in Macao, the strong festive atmosphere of the SAR tends to attract tourists from Guangdong province.
Daily arrivals are expected to reach 100,000 over the Christmas period, the Macau Daily Times reports
“A vida da população em geral continua difícil, pois não está a partilhar dos resultados da recuperação económica”, afirmou ontem o deputado Leong Hong Sai, na reunião plenária da Assembleia Legislativa (AL), reivindicando mais apoios para os cidadãos.
The number of suspicious transaction reports (STRs) made by Macau casino operators to the city’s authorities rose 169.6 percent year-on-year in the nine months to September 30. That is according to data issued on Monday by Macau’s Financial Intelligence Office.
There were 2,335 such reports, representing 73.5 percent of all transactions flagged in the city during the period, versus 866 notifications made by the gaming firms in the prior-year first nine months.
Gaming-related STRs in the first nine months of 2022 – a period before travel in and out of Macau was normalised – had been only 51.6 percent of the total.
Gaming operators are reporting more suspicious transactions than they were pre-pandemic
In the first nine months of this year alone, casinos filed more reports of suspicious transactions than they did across all of 2019, according to the official figures.
https://macaonews.org/city/macau-macao-casinos-gaming-crime/
Após três anos de pandemia, “a tendência da recuperação económica de Macau é positiva e os diversos sectores recuperam a vitalidade”, beneficiando do “forte apoio” das políticas e medidas lançadas pelo Governo Central, considerou o Chefe do Executivo da RAEM na recepção comemorativa do 74º aniversário da Implantação da República Popular da China (RPC). Reforçando o diagnóstico positivo, frisou ainda que a “atractividade turística de Macau continua a crescer”, “o número de visitantes recuperou de forma exponencial” e “a competitividade e notoriedade da nossa cidade continuam a elevar-se”.
“O Governo da RAEM, agarrando as oportunidades, tem-se empenhado em vertentes prioritárias para impulsionar plenamente a recuperação e desenvolvimento da sociedade e da economia, para criar um novo cenário de progresso da RAEM”, acentuou Ho Iat Seng, ao discursar perante cerca de 900 convidados na recepção realizada no Complexo da Plataforma de Serviços para a Cooperação Comercial entre a China e os Países de Língua Portuguesa.
Fitch Ratings Inc forecasts Macau’s economy will “rebound sharply,” by as much as 65 percent this year, exceeding by 19 percentage points a 2023 recovery estimate the institution made for the city in December 2022, before the relaxation of travel restrictions linked to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Macau’s premium mass wager per player hit an all-time high during Golden Week, at an average of HK$29,633 (US$3,785) according to a monthly survey conducted by Citi.
The survey of multiple premium mass rooms across Macau, conducted last Thursday, found that the total wager amount observed of HK$15.1 million was only 3% lower than the all-time high of HK$15.5 million observed in February 2019. However, it took just 508 premium mass players to generate this month’s survey total versus 928 players in 2019, meaning a similar figure was achieved with 44% fewer players.
https://www.asgam.com/index.php/2023/10/09/macau-premium-mass-players-betting-more-than-ever-citi/
The number of non-resident workers (NRWs) in Macao continues to rise, with an increase of about 5,000 between the end of June and the end of August, TDM reports.
There are currently more than 170,000 NRWs in the city, about 87 percent of the number in 2019 – the last year before the Covid-19 pandemic struck.
Macau logged nearly a million visitor arrivals in just eight days of a Chinese holiday season, this year representing a combination of the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day celebrations, and commonly called autumn Golden Week.
The information was in a Saturday press release issued by the Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO).
Galaxy Entertainment Group (GEG) is expected to witness a significant earnings rebound reaching 2019 levels, driven by the full opening of its phase 3 project, according to investment bank Jefferies.
In a recent report, analyst Andrew Lee noted that the new amenities from Galaxy phase 3 are anticipated to be a key differentiator in 2024, “given the change in the player profile”.
JP Morgan Securities (Asia Pacific) Ltd says the recovery in the number of visitors arrivals to Macau during the October Golden Week (GW) has helped push mass-market gross gaming revenues (GGR) to over “100 percent” versus 2019 levels, before the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“So far things appear pretty in-line with our expectations of 100-percent-plus recovery in mass GGR (versus 2019 Golden Week),” wrote analysts DS Kim, Mufan Shi and Selina Li in a Thursday memo.
Macau welcomed a post-pandemic high of 158,726 visitor arrivals on Saturday, up 473% year-on-year in what was a promising start to this year’s eight-day Golden Week holiday period.
Golden Week bookings strong but revenues to stay below pre-COVID levels)
Sands China President Dr Wilfred Wong said Tuesday that more than 80% of the company’s hotel rooms are booked out for the upcoming Golden Week, although gaming revenues are still expected to fall short of what they were before the COVID-19 pandemic due to the change in customer mix.
In an interview with Hong Kong media outlet Sing Tao Daily, Dr Wong noted that this year’s Golden Week was longer than in previous years due to the National Day holiday eve being a weekend and the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday taking place at the same time.
“According to the Macao Government Tourism Office’s forecast, the number of arrivals for Golden Week is optimistic, and the current hotel bookings under [Sands China’s] umbrella are very good, with a booking rate of 80% to 90%.”
https://www.asgam.com/index.php/2023/09/26/dr-wilfred-wong-golden-week-bookings-strong-but-revenues-to-stay-below-pre-covid-levels/
Investment bank Goldman Sachs said in a Sunday memo that it believes that most Macau casino operators “may not be able to resume dividend anytime soon,” due to “either stretched balance sheets or restrictions by debt covenants”.
Despite the city’s smoothly recovering economy, underlying factors may fluctuate, Macau Economic Association (MEA) warned yesterday in a statement.
Amid its announcement on the latest Prosperity Index, the group warned that at least three indicators for the index remain at dissatisfactory levels. The three factors are the stock prices of the six casino operators, the Chinese Consumer Confidence Index and the total employed population of China.
On the other hand, high interest rates are also a critical factor of which the market should be mindful. Inter-bank Offered Rates in both Hong Kong and Macau have remained at an escalated level, raising costs of capitalization for both businesses and individuals. The situation discourages investment and consumption.
https://macaudailytimes.com.mo/economic-group-suggests-vigilance-despite-smooth-economy.html
Macau’s mass market had outperformed in the first eight months of the year, with Deutsche Bank observing healthy market trends. However, analysts point out that lower-spend gaming customers continue to keep a low ratio compared to 2019 levels.
In a Friday investment memo, Deutsche Bank notes that spending per visitor observed this year is well above 2019 levels, though declining, and likely to continue to decline as group and package tour visitor volumes grow.
Premium mass gross gaming revenue (GGR) volume in Macau has already surpassed the levels recorded in 2019, the last trading period before the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. That is according to a memo by brokerage JP Morgan Securities (Asia Pacific) Ltd, following the official announcement by the Macau regulator of the city’s industry wide overall GGR figure for August.
De um modo geral, os restaurantes nas zonas turísticas conseguiram recentemente registar um volume de negócios equivalente ou até superior ao verificado antes da pandemia, devido ao forte crescimento do número dos visitantes, referiram dois líderes associativos ligados ao sector de restauração. Contudo, por outro lado, a situação comercial dos restaurantes nas zonas habitacionais “continua a piorar”, descreve o director da União das Associações dos Proprietários de Estabelecimentos de Restauração e Bebidas, apontando ainda para o problema da carência de recursos humanos
https://jtm.com.mo/local/restaurantes-em-zonas-turisticas-ja-lucram-mais-antes-da-pandemia/
Previously, foreigners entering China were required to take a test within 48 hours on arrival, with customs officers checking for test results randomly.
ago23
A taxa de desemprego tem vindo a cair desde o terceiro trimestre do ano passado e, segundo informou a Direcção dos Serviços de Estatística e Censos, está agora nos 3,3% para os residentes. A taxa de desemprego global em Macau é de 2,6%. Recorde-se que há um ano a taxa de desemprego dos residentes era de 5,4%.
https://pontofinal-macau.com/2023/08/28/taxa-de-desemprego-continua-em-queda-e-chega-aos-33-para-os-residentes/
ago23
The Transport Bureau (DSAT) has claimed that buses with a stated capacity of 65 passengers may not be overloaded even if “the buses are circulating carrying over 100 passengers,” the Bureau said in a response to an inquiry from the Times.
According to DSAT, “As loading and unloading of passengers may occur in the course of transporting passengers on public buses, even for a public bus with a capacity of 65 passengers, the total number of passengers carried on a bus trip may exceed 100, but this is not overloading.”
The same bureau added that DSAT “attaches great importance to the safety of bus services,” calling on users to report unlawful or dangerous situations to the Bureau with “specific information, such as the license plate number of the buses, the time and location of the buses, so follow-up measures could be taken.”
https://macaudailytimes.com.mo/dsat-claims-crowded-buses-are-not-overloaded.html
ago23
Com a criação de postos de trabalho a melhorar em Junho, permitindo estancar cinco quebras trimestrais consecutivas, o desemprego e subemprego voltaram a descer no segundo trimestre, apesar da taxa de actividade permanecer no nível mais baixo desde 2007. Entre o primeiro e segundo trimestres, a população empregada na RAEM ganhou 2.100 pessoas, elevando o total para 361.400, incluindo 282.600 residentes, número que já supera o nível pré-pandemia. Por outro lado, em termos globais, Macau ainda tem 28.400 empregos por “recuperar” em relação ao final de 2019
https://jtm.com.mo/local/populacao-empregada-cresce-apos-cinco-quebras/
Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng has ruled out the possibility of introducing additional measures that will benefit all classes of Macau’s society amid the ongoing economic recovery.
At a Q&A session with lawmakers on Friday, Ho stressed that only those deemed less privileged would be the focus of his administration when it came to economic support on top of the existing ones.
https://www.macaubusiness.com/city-leader-no-more-economic-support-for-everyone/
The Macau government is forecasting structural budget deficits for both 2023 and 2024 in spite of a gradual recovery in the local economy.
This means authorities expect that they will still need to continue to resort to the SAR’s financial reserve to make up for the estimated gap between current revenue and expenditure.
On Saturday, Macau welcomed 139,000 visitors, the highest daily tally since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The information was given by Cheng Wai Tong, deputy director at Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO), in comments broadcast on Monday on the Chinese-language radio service of public broadcaster TDM.
MGM China reported net revenues of US$714 million for the second quarter of 2023, an increase of 5 percent when compared to the second quarter of 2019.
Gross gaming revenue (GGR) at Macao’s casinos increased by more than 4,000 percent year-on-year last month, according to the latest figures from the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau. That rise – from 398 million to 16.66 billion patacas – is due to the fact Macao was locked down for parts of July 2022.
During that time, all casinos ceased operations for 7 days as a Covid-19 outbreak wracked the city.
Macao Is Back as the Gambling Capital of the World
https://www.fool.com/investing/2023/07/25/macao-is-back-as-the-gambling-capital-of-the-world/
The consolidated average occupancy rate of most three- to five-star hotels in Macau rose in the first half to only 10.3 percentage points below the equivalent period in 2019, i.e., a period before the Covid-19 pandemic.
The data – released by the Macao Government Tourism Bureau (MGTO) – are based on 44 establishments that are members of the Macau Hotel Association. Most of the city’s five-star hotels are within the city’s casino resorts.
The overall three- to five-star occupancy rate over the first six months this year was 82.0 percent, compared to 92.3 percent in the first half 2019. The average nightly room rate up to June 30 this year was MOP1,247.0 (US$155.04), just shy of 8.0 percent below first-half 2019’s MOP1,354.8.
jul23
China authorities have issued 42.8 million travel visas to Macau, Hong Kong, and Taiwan in the first half of the year, marking a significant increase of 1,509 percent from last year. The figure has recovered to 96.5 percent of 2019 levels.
During the same period, Macau welcomed 11.64 million visitors. This represents 59.6 percent of the daily average in 2019, according to the figures released by Macau authorities,
The National Immigration Administration released the number on Wednesday, noting that the number of border crossings at all Chinese checkpoints registered a sharp increase, reaching 168 million in H1. The tally represents an increase of 169.6 percent yearly, and the number of border crossings has recovered to 48.8 percent of 2019 levels.
https://agbrief.com/news/macau/19/07/2023/over-42-million-visas-to-macau-hong-kong-and-taiwan-issued-in-h1-near-2019-levels/
jun23
It may be several months after the lifting of Covid-19 travel restrictions, but Macao’s nonresident worker population is still languishing more than 35,000 below its pre-pandemic peak. That’s according to new figures from the Labour Affairs Bureau.
The statistics show that there were 161,508 nonresident workers in the territory in May, up slightly from the 158,202 in April but still well below the 196,539 recorded in December 2019, and just 9,630 more than the population of 151,878 registered in January.
Most of the increase was accounted for by workers from mainland China, who grew in number from 110,493 in April to 113,016 in May.
Of the largest foreign worker communities, those from the Philippines grew slightly month to month, from 24,573 to 24,939, but the number of Vietnamese remained static at just over 7,250.
https://macaonews.org/business/macau-macao-non-resident-workers-population-may-2023/
A recent job survey has revealed that the majority of its respondents suffered a pay cut or had their wages frozen amid economic challenges faced by local businesses.
The survey, which was jointly conducted by the Macao Federation of Trade Unions and the Commercial Employees’ General Association of Macau between April and May, collected a total of 435 views from local employees.
ma23
Macau’s gaming operators are having some very positive feedback from the non-gaming push. Morningstar Senior Equity Analyst Jennifer Song told AGB that at least two gaming operators in Macau recorded historically high daily earnings while holding concerts in their properties.
mai23
A União dos Guias Turísticos de Macau revelou que a recepção de excursões durante a Semana Dourada de Maio ficou aquém das expectativas, apesar do aumento global do número de turistas. A culpa foi do elevado preço do alojamento nos hotéis. A Associação de Inovação e Serviços de Turismo de Lazer de Macau destacou a escassez de quartos de hotel.
https://pontofinal-macau.com/2023/05/18/associacoes-do-sector-do-turismo-queixam-se-dos-elevados-precos-dos-hoteis/
mai23
Fourteen high-speed jetfoils are now making a total of 76 daily ferry trips between Macao and Hong Kong, the Transport Bureau says, sailing at an approximately 15-minute frequency.
The figures represent an almost fourfold increase over the level in January, when services resumed as pandemic travel curbs were lifted, the Macau Post Daily reports.
https://macaonews.org/city/hong-kong-macau-macao-ferry-timetable-frequency/?utm_source=ActiveCampaign&utm_medium=email&utm_content=12+May+Daily+Read&utm_campaign=20230512_Daily+Newsletter
mai23
O impacto negativo da pandemia na qualidade e estabilidade do emprego em Macau ainda não passou. Um inquérito da Universidade de Ciência e Tecnologia de Macau concluiu que o grau de confiança e de satisfação dos trabalhadores no território melhorou em relação ao ano passado, mas continua a ser pior do que em 2019.
https://pontofinal-macau.com/2023/05/10/inquerito-da-must-revela-que-confianca-dos-trabalhadores-ainda-nao-foi-totalmente-recuperada/
maio23
AÍ ESTAO AS QUEIXAS (e ainda os numeros nao atingem os do passado)
The surge in tourist numbers is leading to complaints from residents
Impassable streets and roads jammed with tour buses have aroused the ire of some neighbourhood associations, reports say.
The rapid recovery of Macao’s tourist trade is leaving some residents disgruntled, according to local media.
Neighbourhood associations in the Fai Chi Kei and Ilha Verde districts have complained of streets and pavements made impassable by tourist buses and throngs of visitors, especially at mealtimes, when large queues form outside restaurants catering to travellers on package tours.
“Travel agencies arrange for tourists to have meals in low-cost restaurants without sufficient capacity”, one local resident told the Chinese-language Exmoo newspaper.
According to the Portuguese-language Ponto Final, the head of the Fai Chi Kei neighbourhood association intends to meet with restaurateurs to see if the impact on residents can be minimised.
In Ilha Verde, a residents’ representative reportedly told news outlet All About Macau that “restaurants don’t coordinate well with the travel agencies”. The representative said that “the number of tourists is much higher than the places available”, leaving many obstructing the streets as they wait outside.
Some 117 package tours visited Macao between 28 April and 2 May alone, according to Ponto Final, which cited government figures.
While the surge in visitors since the lifting of pandemic restrictions in January has been a boon for the local economy, it has also left the tourism industry scrambling to cope, with reports of labour shortages and spikes in room rates as demand outstrips supply.
maio23
As receitas correntes da Administração da RAEM aumentaram 14,4% para 12,72 mil milhões de patacas nos primeiros três meses deste ano, em relação ao período homólogo de 2022, reflectindo uma taxa de execução orçamental de 19,4%, revelam dados publicados na página electrónica dos Serviços de Finanças. Contrariando o cenário vivido durante os períodos mais críticos da pandemia, as receitas superaram as despesas correntes, cujo montante decresceu 31,4% para cerca de 10,53 mil milhões de patacas, correspondendo a 13,5% do orçamentado para todo o ano de 2023. Incluindo as receitas correntes e as de capital, a RAEM “encaixou” quase 17,95 mil milhões, uma subida anual de 19,8%. Por outro lado, integrando as despesas de capital, os gastos públicos recuaram 22,7% para 15,48 mil milhões de patacas no intervalo de um ano. O saldo do exercício do primeiro trimestre de 2023 foi positivo em 2,46 mil milhões, mais 5,3% na comparação anual. Os dados dos Serviços de Finanças indicam que, entre Janeiro e Março, a Administração arrecadou 10,11 mil milhões em impostos sobre o jogo, mais 15,8% em termos anuais e 19,9% do montante inscrito no Orçamento para este ano. A maioria das despesas envolveu a rubrica “transferência, apoios e abonos”, com 6,61 mil milhões (mais 12,9%). Por sua vez, o Plano de Investimentos e Despesas de Desenvolvimento da Administração (PIDDA) implicou gastos de cerca de 4,93 mil milhões, o que representa 21,8% do previsto para 2023 e um acréscimo anual de quase 5,9%.
https://jtm.com.mo/local/receitas-correntes-da-raem-superaram-gastos-1o-trimestre/
mai23
As receitas brutas de jogo dos casinos que operam em Macau foram, no mês passado, de 14,7 mil milhões de patacas – o valor mais alto desde o início da pandemia. O montante alcançado pelos casinos no passado mês de Abril significa um aumento de 450% face a Abril de 2022. Todavia, é somente 62% do que tinha sido registado em Abril de 2019, antes da pandemia.
https://pontofinal-macau.com/2023/05/02/receitas-de-jogo-crescem-450-em-comparacao-com-o-ano-passado/
mai23
Macao is registering an average of roughly 118,000 daily visitors during the Labour Day Golden Week holiday so far, according to official data.
The Golden Week holiday, from 29 April to 3 May, is the first extended break since the pandemic in mainland China, which does not observe Easter. As such, Labour Day Golden Week is an important bellwether for the recovery of the nation’s tourism industry.
Macao’s daily average comfortably exceeds the government’s estimate of 70,000 visitors a day. More than half of all visitors have been arriving via the Border Gate checkpoint.
https://macaonews.org/business/macau-macao-labour-day-golden-week-arrivals-average/?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=2+May+Daily+Read&utm_campaign=20230502_Daily+Newsletter
ab23
The number of Suspicious Transaction Reports (STRs) issued by Macau’s gaming operators increased by 44.1% year-on-year to 595 in the three months to 31 March 2023, up from 413 in the prior year quarter according to data from the Financial Intelligence Office.
It was also 91.3% higher than the 311 STRs reported in the December 2022 quarter, reflecting the removal of most remaining border restrictions on 8 January 2023.
https://www.asgam.com/index.php/2023/04/26/suspicious-transaction-reports-from-macau-gaming-operators-up-91-sequentially-in-1q23/
ab23
Macau’s Secretary for Economy and Finance, Lei Wai Nong, said Monday that visitor arrivals to Macau reached 98,000 last Saturday 15 April, the highest single day visitor tally this year.
Since Macau’s international borders reopened on 8 January the number of visitors has been rising, reaching 96,000 on 18 March, but Lei said a new three-year high had been reached over the past weekend.
“January signaled an important change in that it has given us new opportunities, whereas in the past [the borders were] open and then closed, closed and then open again,” he said.
“Now the number of visitors last Saturday reached 98,000, the highest of the year. The number of visitors [so far this year] has recovered to 58% of 2019 levels.”
Lei noted that a major source of recovery was Hong Kong visitation, aided by the government’s efforts to market to Hong Kong since 8 January.
A total of 39.4 million visitors came to Macau in 2019, of which 7.4 million were from Hong Kong. The average daily visitor tally in 2019 was about 108,000.
“The benefit of Hong Kong visitors coming to Macau is that more Macau small and medium-sized enterprises can benefit from it,” Lei explained.
“Visitors to Macau are also now younger, with a concentration of visitors aged 18 to 35. Rua do Cunha (a famous tourist area in Taipa) is more lively than in 2019, and many people like to visit there.
https://www.asgam.com/index.php/2023/04/17/macau-visitor-arrivals-reached-98000-on-saturday-highest-since-early-2020/
ab23
“Não temos condições para atribuir mais 8 mil patacas através de cartão de consumo”, esclareceu ontem Lei Wai Nong, na reunião plenária da Assembleia Legislativa (AL). Ainda assim, o secretário para a Economia e Finanças disse que “o Governo vai analisar [o assunto] de forma dinâmica”.
https://pontofinal-macau.com/2023/04/18/lei-wai-nong-confirma-que-nao-havera-mais-cartoes-de-consumo/
ab23
Ferry services operator TurboJET will increase the sailings of its hydrofoils next month amid growing demand for travel between Macau and Hong Kong by sea.
Alfred Ng, director of the Macao Services Division of Shun Tak China Travel Ship Management, was quoted by Chinese-language Macao Daily News as saying that the company was aiming for a sailing between the two SARs every 15 minutes on average in the best scenario.
According to the company’s tentative May schedule, ferry services to and from the Outer Harbour Ferry Terminal will be running at half-hourly intervals.
As for nighttime services between Hong Kong and the Taipa Ferry Terminal, there will be at least one available every hour.
https://www.macaubusiness.com/turbojet-to-up-sailings-further-in-may-after-recent-spike-in-demand/
ab23
Easter weekend sees 263,000 tourists
The city has seen a total of 263,046 visitor arrivals during the three-day Easter holiday period, according to figures from the Public Security Police.
On Sunday alone, 85,875 tourists entered Macau via the various border checkpoints, with 40 per cent arriving via the Hong Kong Zhuhai Macau bridge. The figure on Easter Day was some 8,000 less than on Easter Eve. Good Friday saw a total of 83,918 visitors.
The daily visitor average over the Easter weekend stood at 87,682, already 87 percent of the daily average of visitor arrivals posted in the last full pre-pandemic month, December 2019, but still 60 percent of what was recorded during the three-day Easter holiday of 2019.
https://www.macaubusiness.com/easter-weekend-sees-258000-tourists/
ab23
Depois de retiradas as restrições pandémicas impostas pelo Governo ao longo de três anos, a economia de Macau começou a recuperar e o secretário para a Economia e Finanças diz que a confiança dos consumidores está a crescer. Entre as prioridades para este ano, Lei Wai Nong apontou o desenvolvimento da indústria integrada do turismo e a promoção da diversificação da economia em Hengqin.
https://pontofinal-macau.com/2023/04/04/lei-wai-nong-diz-que-recuperacao-economica-e-evidente/
abr23
Além dos factores sazonais, a utilização de máscara ao longo dos últimos anos também é um motivo para a recente subida do número de casos de gripe em Macau, afirmou o Governo. Leong Iek Hou, responsável dos Serviços de Saúde, indicou que o uso prolongado de máscara provocou uma redução da imunidade das pessoas, nomeadamente dos menores, que contactaram muito menos com os vírus no ambiente. Leong Iek Hou alertou também para o aumento das infecções colectivas nas escolas, frisando que Macau está agora no pico de surto de gripe.
https://pontofinal-macau.com/2023/04/06/governo-diz-que-uso-de-mascara-baixou-imunidade-das-criancas-provocando-aumento-dos-casos-de-gripe/
abr23
Porque os residentes de Macau ainda usam máscara?
“Com base na minha experiência e em algumas conversas que tive com alguns alunos e pessoas, tenho a ideia de que em algumas pessoas isto pode estar relacionado com o sentido de ‘eu’,” diz ao PLATAFORMA o Chefe do Departamento de Psicologia da Faculdade de Ciências da Saúde da Universidade de São José, o Professor Vitor Teixeira.
“Após três anos a usar máscara algumas pessoas podem sentir-se “nuas ou expostas”, e é possível que não saibam quem são em público sem a máscara”.
https://www.plataformamedia.com/2023/04/07/porque-os-residentes-de-macau-ainda-usam-mascara/
abr23~
Lawrence Ho Yau Lung, chairman and chief executive of casino operator Melco Resorts and Entertainment Ltd, has told GGRAsia he is “pleased with the speed of the recovery” in the Macau tourism market. Most travel restrictions covering movement between mainland China, Macau and Hong Kong were eased in early January, and for overseas arrivals after that.
Mr Ho stated, referring to inbound travel permissions from the Chinese mainland and elsewhere: “We’ve been saying it for a long time: Macau is a tourism centre and you need visitors for traffic, so now we’re seeing uninterrupted visas and stuff like that. So we’re pleased.”
https://www.ggrasia.com/melco-pleased-with-macau-recovery-speed-lawrence-ho/Após a saída de Simon Chan, a Autoridade da Aviação Civil apresentou ontem o novo presidente, Pun Wa Kin. O responsável assinalou que os primeiros trabalhos após assumir o cargo serão a recuperação das ligações aéreas e do número de passageiros, pelo menos até ao nível de 2019. O engenheiro disse estar optimista com o desenvolvimento aéreo em Macau, dado que o Governo e todos os sectores estão a tentar atrair turistas estrangeiros.
Elsie Ao Ieong, secretária para os Assuntos Sociais e Cultura, admite que a exigência do uso de máscara em Macau irá ser ainda mais aliviada se a situação epidémica se mantiver estável, apesar de possíveis picos de infecção nos próximos meses de Maio ou Junho. A governante garante que há recursos médicos preparados para o eventual surgimento de surtos. Além disso, os trabalhos preparatórios para o Hospital das Ilhas estão em curso e, segundo a secretária, o recrutamento de pessoal local vai avançar esta semana, prevendo-se a abertura do centro para tratamento oncológico e os serviços de urgência no final do ano.
The Macao Health Code app will cease operation next Monday, according to a statement from the Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre.
The centre says that details stored on the system – such as personal information, health code reporting records and visit records – will be deleted.
https://macaonews.org/covid-19/macao-macau-health-code-app-covid/?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=24+March+Daily+Read&utm_campaign=20230324_Daily+Newsletter
mar23
The Covid-19 pandemic taught Macao’s casinos to keep their running costs down and that habit won’t change as the territory embarks on its economic recovery.
That’s the conclusion of a report released Tuesday by JP Morgan and cited by gaming news portal GGR Asia.
The upshot? Casinos can expect a boost in profits in the coming years, with operating costs averaging at 10 percent lower than pre-pandemic levels.
https://macaonews.org/business/macau-macao-casinos-gaming-covid-profits/
15 mar23
China will reopen its borders to tourists and resume issuing all visas today as it tries to revive tourism and its economy following a three-year halt during the Covid-19 pandemic.
China is one of the last major countries to reopen its borders to tourists. The announcement yesterday came after it declared a “decisive victory” over Covid -19 in February.
All types of visas will resume from Wednesday. Visa-free entry also will resume at destinations such as Hainan island as well as for cruise ships entering Shanghai that had no visa requirement before Covid-19.
https://macaudailytimes.com.mo/china-to-reopen-to-tourists-resume-all-visas-today.html
mar23
Only 0.5% of medical consultation cases involve Covid-19 infection, according to the director of the Health Bureau (SSM), Alvis Lo. However, there may be cyclical peaks of infection of Covid-19 in the future.
According to the monitoring system of SSM, there are 600 to 700 medical consultations per day. Among them, 0.5% were Covid-19 cases, which means there is one case in every 200 samples. There are almost no cases reported on the online self-reporting platform, he said.
Lo noted that people may be infected by new Covid variants three to six months after a round of natural infection because of their decreased immunity.
https://macaudailytimes.com.mo/health-ssm-expects-cyclical-peaks-of-covid-infection-in-the-future.html
mar23
A Associação Económica de Macau, cujo presidente é o ex-deputado Joey Lao, diz que a economia da região já ultrapassou a crise provocada pela pandemia e reitera que no segundo trimestre deste ano a economia voltará a ser classificada como “estável”.
A Associação Económica de Macau divulgou ontem as suas projecções para o futuro da economia da região, assinalando que já foi superada a crise provocada pela pandemia. “O desempenho económico de Macau continuou a recuperar nos últimos meses e ultrapassou claramente as dificuldades da epidemia”, lê-se no documento cujo autor principal é Joey Lao, presidente da associação e ex-deputado.
https://pontofinal-macau.com/2023/03/15/associacao-diz-que-economia-de-macau-ja-superou-crise-da-pandemia/
mar23
Macau’s gambling market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.7 per cent between 2021 and 2026, a report by iGaming media publisher Casino Reviews suggests.
The platform suggests that gaming concessionaires Sands China, Wynn Macau, and Galaxy Entertainment Group are expected to continue to control a dominating market share in the SAR.
https://www.macaubusiness.com/gaming-sector-to-see-annual-growth-rate-of-5-7pct-between-2021-2026-report/
mar23
O número de trabalhadores não residentes (TNR) em Macau voltou a diminuir no final de Janeiro deste ano, apesar das autoridades admitirem a escassez de mão-de-obra. Segundo dados publicados na página electrónica da Direcção dos Serviços para os Assuntos Laborais, Macau contava no final de Janeiro com 151.878 TNR, o que representa a perda de 3.034 ou 1,96% face ao mês anterior e corresponde ao nível mais baixo desde Abril de 2014, quando foram contabilizados 149.208. As estatísticas oficiais apontam ainda para uma quebra anual de 21,51%. Desde o pico máximo de 196.538, atingido em Dezembro de 2019, pouco antes do início da pandemia, Macau perdeu quase 44.700 trabalhadores não residentes. No espaço de três anos, foram os não residentes vindos da China Continental os mais afectados pela perda de empregos (menos cerca de 17 mil), seguidos pelos das Filipinas (menos 9.500) e do Vietname (menos 7.400). O sector da hotelaria e restauração foi o mais abalado, tendo perdido mais de 17.600 TNR desde Dezembro de 2019, seguido pelas empregadas domésticas (menos 7.400) e pelo ramo das actividades culturais e casinos (menos 7.300). Segundo os mesmos dados, no final de Janeiro deste ano, os trabalhadores oriundos da China Continental (105.346) continuavam a destacar-se claramente como a principal força laboral importada, seguidos pelos das Filipinas (24.259), Vietname (7.437) e Indonésia (4.517). O Secretário para a Economia e Finanças, Lei Wai Nong, reconheceu há cerca de um mês que os hotéis locais têm sentido falta de pessoal e garantiu que iria negociar com as empresas ligadas ao turismo para “resolver o problema com que o sector se está a deparar”.
https://jtm.com.mo/local/numero-de-tnr-atinge-minimo-desde-abril-de-2014/
mar23
O alívio nas orientações sobre o uso de máscara adoptadas pelo Governo desde segunda-feira não causou uma grande mudança na comunidade, sendo que muitos cidadãos na rua estão ainda com máscara e poucos são aqueles que decidiram deixar de a usar. Quer porobrigatoriedade, quer por iniciativa própria, o uso de máscara tem estado presente na vida quotidiana da maioria em Macau durante os últimos três anos de pandemia, e muitos até consideram que já se tornounuma “nova normalidade” da vida social. Apesar de acharem positivo o alívio das restrições, alguns cidadãos disseram ao PONTO FINAL que ainda têm medo de apanhar o vírus, enquanto outros consideram que a pandemia já passou e preferem respirar o ar fresco, tal como se vivia há três anos.
https://pontofinal-macau.com/2023/03/03/populacao-aplaude-fim-do-uso-de-mascara-mas-a-maioria-continua-a-usa-la/
fev23 (transito)
As tourism activities have recommenced, traffic congestion is reappearing in many places, such as the Oriental Pearl roundabout, and consequently lawmaker Ron Lam has criticized the government for being unprepared.
In his latest written enquiry, the lawmaker pointed out several design flaws or points of confusion that have led to regular traffic congestion, especially at peak hours, on the aforementioned roundabout after tourists resumed their influx.
The first location he mentioned is the first junction traffic will see when entering the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge border district from the New Urban Zone A. The junction has traffic directions and instructions marked by lines and signage, but without concrete separations, in addition to merging several lanes together.
https://macaudailytimes.com.mo/lawmaker-slams-govt-unpreparedness-for-oriental-pearl-congestion.html
fev23 (máscaras)
Authorities in Macau, the world's biggest gambling hub, said on Sunday they would drop COVID 19-related mask requirements for most locations, except for public transportation, hospitals and a handful of other areas.
The rule change takes effect from Monday, the government said in a statement on its website.
"The epidemic situation in Macau has continuously remained stable over the last two months," it said.
https://www.reuters.com/markets/asia/gambling-hub-macau-drops-covid-mask-mandate-most-locations-2023-02-26/
fev23 (EMPREGO)
Macau’s chief executive Ho Iat Seng has said that his administration is currently analysing the rationale behind the difficulty locals have had in landing jobs in spite of ongoing efforts to place jobless residents with Macau IDs in the city’s workforce.
Talking to media today (24 February 2023), the city leader urged local residents to return to the workplace at a time when the domestic economy was getting back on its feet.
“After the pandemic policies loosened, Macau’s situation is for now ‘quite good’,” said Ho. “There is a shortage of manpower as a result. I hope that more Macau citizens will take part in the development of Macau.”
https://www.macaubusiness.com/city-leader-urges-locals-to-return-to-work-as-unemployment-rate-slips-to-4-3-pct/
fev23
Lawmaker José Pereira Coutinho has called for greater clarity on the use of surgical masks as Macao emerges from three years of pandemic mitigation measures.
In written questions posed to the government Monday – and quoted in Portuguese-language news outlets Hoje Macau and Ponto Final – the directly elected legislator said that rules on the use of masks “are vague and confusing” and that there were “no clear and unified guidelines” on their use.
https://macaonews.org/covid-19/masks-covid-macau-macao-rules/
fev23
Hundreds of Macao’s former casino staff – who bore the brunt of the Covid-19 pandemic – have needed counselling over the past year.
The Macao Gaming Industry Employees Home Union said that it had provided counselling services to 1,490 casino employees, of whom 192 required a follow-up, assistance in finding a job, applying for social welfare assistance, resolving family and emotional problems and sorting out gambling issues.
According to Macau Post Daily, union representatives reported a “significant increase” in the transfer of casino dealers to other casino departments and entertainment venues. They said the union had received a number of complaints from casino employees about not being able to adjust to the new work environment, their salaries being reduced and job prospects rendered uncertain.
https://macaonews.org/social-affairs/macau-macao-casinos-mental-health/?utm_source=ActiveCampaign&utm_medium=email&utm_content=23+February+Daily+Read&utm_campaign=20230223_Daily+Newsletter
fev23
A garantia foi dada à deputada Wong Kit Cheng pelo director dos Serviços de Saúde. Alvis Lo referiu ainda que, em possíveis surtos no futuro, “criar-se-á um mecanismo de monitorização da infecção e ajustar-se-á a organização dos cuidados de saúde, de acordo com as necessidades dos residentes em termos de consulta médica, especialmente para proteger eficazmente os grupos-alvo”. Autoridades já admitiram que no mês de Maio poderá ocorrer um surto de Covid-19 no território.
https://pontofinal-macau.com/2023/02/23/governo-preparado-para-picos-periodicos-de-covid-19/
fev23
Rebuilding the workforce needed for day-to-day operations in Macau hotels, including ones at casino resorts, remains a challenge, as consumer demand since the lifting of Covid-19 associated travel restrictions in early January has outpaced labour resupply following the shrinking of staff numbers over the past three years, several industry observers have indicated to GGRAsia.
A labour shortage is particularly acute in certain front-of-house hotel roles, where in the past venues have often used non-resident workers, the observers said, with a travel-industry spokesman noting that the lead times in terms of government paperwork for non-resident recruitment can typically be longer than for hiring Macau ID holders.
https://www.ggrasia.com/staff-shortages-still-in-macau-hotels-say-experts/
fev23
Macau’s tourism industry labor shortage is expected to only ease in mid-March, according to estimates by the president of the Macau Tourism Industry Association.
Speaking to AGB, Andy Wu said that Macau is receiving over 50,000 visitors daily, which represents 50 percent of pre-COVID levels in 2019, so the local hotels and the tourism industry in general are struggling to hire manpower to fulfill the increase in demand.
The association head notes that demand has not necessarily been impacted by labor insufficiency, as operators have adjusted – limiting total hotel room capacity or the operating hours of certain establishments.
https://agbrief.com/news/macau/15/02/2023/macau-hopes-tourism-industry-labor-shortage-will-ease-mid-march/?utm_source=Asia+Gaming+Brief&utm_campaign=37eab7c92a-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_5_19_2022_13_42_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_51950b5d21-37eab7c92a-69255637&ct=t(EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_5_19_2022_13_42_COPY_01)&goal=0_51950b5d21-37eab7c92a-69255637&mc_cid=37eab7c92a&mc_eid=31e20475e6
fev23
A Associação Económica de Macau defendeu que o panorama económico de Macau está a melhorar, sendo que o índice de prosperidade do território passou da “estagnação” e recuperou para o nível de “baixo desempenho”. Um estudo mensal realizado pela associação sobre as previsões económicas referiu ainda que o índice vai subir para o nível de “estabilidade” nos próximos meses.
https://pontofinal-macau.com/2023/02/16/associacao-preve-regresso-da-estabilidade-economica-no-segundo-trimestre/
fev23
O deputado Ron Lam defendeu ontem, no período de antes da ordem do dia, na Assembleia Legislativa, que, “para se retomar, verdadeiramente, a normalidade”, o Executivo deve “fazer bem a monitorização contínua das variantes do novo coronavírus e aligeirar gradualmente as restrições relativas às máscaras”. Apontando que se estima que cerca de 70% da população já foi infectada, o deputado observou que muitos países e regiões, como são os casos da Coreia do Sul e Singapura, estão a levantar gradualmente a “ordem de uso de máscaras”, a fim de concretizar a convivência com o vírus e criar imunidade colectiva. “Ao longo dos três anos da epidemia, os docentes e os alunos de Macau sempre usaram máscaras nas aulas; e a impossibilidade de, durante muito tempo, os alunos verem as expressões faciais dos seus colegas e professores afecta a aprendizagem de línguas e a comunicação interpessoal, situação que é mais grave para as crianças dos jardins-de-infância”, alertou Ron Lam. Neste sentido, o deputado sugere que o público não use máscara após a epidemia. “Isto não é apenas uma opção para a retoma da normalidade na sociedade, é também, na verdade, benéfico para a saúde pública em geral e pode aliviar o pico da propagação numa próxima vaga”, sublinhou. Neste sentido, apelou ao Governo para continuar a monitorizar as mutações e a propagação do novo coronavírus, e a incentivar a população, especialmente os grupos de alto risco, a receber atempadamente a vacina e a dose de reforço. “O Governo deve definir um prazo claro para o relaxamento das medidas de prevenção da epidemia, clarificando que o uso de máscara só é necessário quando o indivíduo em causa apresente sintomas do trato respiratório, houver um pico de infecção na comunidade ou haja necessidade de contactar com pessoas de alto risco, a fim de promover verdadeiramente a plena retoma da normalidade na sociedade”, concluiu.
https://jtm.com.mo/local/defendido-alivio-das-restricoes-sobre-uso-de-mascaras/
fev23
Este ano serão programados até mil eventos de convenções e exposições em Macau, aproximadamente o dobro face ao número registado no ano passado. O Instituto de Promoção do Comércio e do Investimento de Macau (IPIM) prevê que o sector terá resultados positivos em 2023, na esperança de realizar mais eventos de alta qualidade e de nível internacional.
https://pontofinal-macau.com/2023/02/14/ipim-preve-que-numero-de-convencoes-e-exposicoes-duplique-este-ano/
fev23
The head of Macau’s tourism bureau said on Friday that only up to 6.5 percent of Macau hotel rooms were presently out of use due to staff shortages. Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, director of Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO), made the comments at a plenary session of the city’s Legislative Assembly.
She said 2,000 to 3,000 rooms from about 46,000 MGTO-licensed rooms, were currently out of use due to labour shortages, in particular for housekeeping staff.
https://www.ggrasia.com/only-6pct-macau-rooms-inactive-amid-staff-shortage-mgto/
fev23
Quase todas as quotas depostas por PME, por iniciativa própria, durante a pandemia serão “devolvidas” às respectivas empresas, sendo que o Governo vai usar um máximo de cinco dias de trabalho para aprovar os pedidos para a “restituição” de quotas, adiantou ontem Andy Wu, membro do Conselho para o Desenvolvimento Económico. Até ontem, segundo indicou, já tinham sido aprovados mais de 90% dos pedidos feitos por PME
https://jtm.com.mo/local/aprovados-90-dos-pedidos-para-restituicao-de-quotas-de-tnr/
fev23
Cross-border travel between the Chinese mainland and the Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Regions will resume fully on February 6, the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council announced on February 3.
https://news.cgtn.com/news/2023-02-03/Travel-between-Chinese-mainland-HK-Macao-to-fully-resume-from-Feb-6-1h7OIB42Tra/index.html
fev23
A República Popular da China anunciou, na passada sexta-feira, o fim de todas as restrições relacionadas com a pandemia de Covid-19 nas deslocações para as regiões administrativas especiais de Hong Kong e Macau, dando luz verde para o reinício das excursões organizadas para os dois territórios, a partir de hoje.
De acordo com o Gabinete para os Assuntos de Hong Kong e Macau do Conselho de Estado, Pequim, em comunicado, confirmou o cancelamento da necessidade de registo e das quotas para atravessar as fronteiras que ligam as duas regiões à China continental.
https://pontofinal-macau.com/2023/02/06/china-da-luz-verde-para-excursoes-organizadas-com-destino-a-macau-e-hong-kong/
Fev23
Package tours from mainland China to Macau will resume from Monday, February 6, confirmed Macau’s Secretary for Economy and Finance, Lei Wai Nong, in a Friday press conference.
The return of package tours from mainland China “will definitely give a significant boost to our tourism revival,” Mr Lei stated.
Also at the briefing, the Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) director, Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, said tour groups to Macau would be allowed to come from all of mainland’s provinces.
https://www.ggrasia.com/mainland-tour-groups-to-macau-to-resume-feb-6/
26/1/23
Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng has hailed the massive influx of tourists over Chinese New Year (CNY) as the light at the end of the tunnel after the three years when the Covid-19 pandemic shrank visitor numbers to almost zero.
While touring the city during the new year holiday he said that “Macao had begun to emerge from the fog of the pandemic”, and that thanks to the relaxation of border measures, residents can look forward to economic recovery and social normality.
Between the eve of CNY and the third day of the holiday, Macao welcomed a grand total of 244,664 visitors, with an average daily rate of 61,166, marking an increase of 276.9 per cent compared to the CNY golden week in 2022.
https://macaonews.org/tourism/almost-quarter-million-visitors-flood-macao-at-chinese-new-year/?utm_source=ActiveCampaign&utm_medium=email&utm_content=26+January+Daily+Read+%F0%9F%97%9E%EF%B8%8F&utm_campaign=20220126_Daily+Newsletter
jan23
Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng has indicated that Macau had begun to “emerge from the fog of the epidemic”, with more than 70,000 tourists registered this Chinese New Year holiday period.
A total of 71,672 tourists visited the SAR on Monday, the second day of the Chinese New Year, reaching the highest visitor tally in three years
While in a visit to several areas in downtown Macau today (Tuesday), Ho commented that the number of visitors in the city has been increasing significantly in recent days, when compared to the last three years, according to a government dispatch concerning the visit.
The head of government also foresaw that in the coming days of the Lunar New Year holidays, the flow of people in the city will be even greater, and wished that, in addition to relevant festivities, the local market can continue to prosper, even in quieter times for tourism, something he considered “the next challenge for Macau”.
https://www.macaubusiness.com/sar-emerging-from-pandemic-fog-ce/
jan23
Macao’s health authorities have decided that all Covid-19 community clinics will cease operations starting today, the Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre announced last night.
The decision was taken after evaluating the medical needs of Covid-19 patients, combined with the easing of the pandemic in the city.
Since 12 December 2022, Macao’s community clinics have provided services for more than 46,000 people, said the Centre, thanking the medical staff, various government departments and everyone in Macao for their cooperation.
https://macaonews.org/covid-19/all-community-clinics-for-covid-19-patients-in-macao-will-cease-operation-from-today/?utm_source=ActiveCampaign&utm_medium=email&utm_content=20+January+Daily+Read+%F0%9F%97%9E%EF%B8%8F&utm_campaign=20220120_Daily+Newsletter
jan23
Vários deputados mostraram-se preocupados com a falta de recursos humanos no sector do turismo
https://jtm.com.mo/local/falta-de-mao-de-obra-preocupa-deputados/
jan23
Macau’s six gaming concessionaires are already printing a profit again following the recent dumping of border restrictions, with mass gaming revenue now back to 50% of pre-COVID levels according to investment bank JP Morgan.
In his weekly GGR update, JP Morgan analyst DS Kim said gaming revenues for the first 15 days of January were estimated at MOP$4.3 billion (US$535 million) or between MOP$285 million and MOP$290 million (US$35 million to US$36 million) per day – suggesting GGR over the past seven days had improved to MOP$310 million (US$38.5 million) per day as visitation increases.
“What does this print tell us? Stripping out largely lifeless VIP segments, the print implies mass/slot GGR run-rate has recovered to over 50% of pre-Covid levels, hitting well over EBITDA break-even levels (mid-30%s recovery in mass) and reaching an important milestone of FCF (free cash flow) breakdown (mid- 50%s of recovery in mass) for the industry,” Kim said
https://www.asgam.com/index.php/2023/01/17/macau-operators-already-profitable-again-says-jp-morgan/
jan23
3 meses para recuperar???
Macau’s economy is likely to rebound in the next three months, with visitor arrivals expected to extend its recent growth in the meantime, the Macau Economic Association said in its recent economic prosperity index report.
The number of visitor arrivals has started to increase gradually, since cross-border travel among Macau, Hong Kong and the mainland returned to normal after the three-year-old quarantine requirement imposed on travelers was scrapped, the report cited.
A relaxation of immigration controls and visitor arrivals will drive economic recovery and reverse the current downturn, the association stressed.
https://www.macaubusiness.com/citys-economy-to-recover-in-three-months-macau-economic-association/
13/1/23
Ferry services between the Outer Harbour Ferry Terminal in Macao and the Hong Kong-Macau Ferry Terminal in Sheung Wan, Hong Kong will resume on 19 January, with about 10 round trips per day.
The Marine and Water Bureau (DSAMA) announced that services between the Macao peninsula and Sheung Wan will include night ferries but not early morning services.
https://macaonews.org/social-affairs/outer-harbour-ferry-terminal-sheung-wan-ferries-start-running-again-on-19-january/?utm_source=ActiveCampaign&utm_medium=email&utm_content=13+January+Daily+Read+%F0%9F%97%9E%EF%B8%8F&utm_campaign=20220113_Daily+Newsletter
jan23
O fim das restrições pandémicas e a reabertura da cidade está a deixar os proprietários optimistas e a fazer com que as rendas dos espaços comerciais aumentem. Segundo responsáveis do sector imobiliário, desde o passado domingo, as rendas das lojas já aumentaram cerca de 20 a 30% e, em alguns casos, até duplicou.
https://pontofinal-macau.com/2023/01/13/reabertura-da-cidade-provoca-aumento-nas-rendas-dos-espacos-comerciais/
jan23
As autoridades de Macau disseram hoje esperar um máximo de 50 mil visitantes diários no Ano Novo Lunar, menos 70% do que antes da pandemia, devido à situação ainda irregular dos transportes marítimos e aéreos.
https://www.sapo.pt/noticias/economia/falta-de-transportes-limita-numero-de_63bfa72b2585c276be5aa629
jan23
Mesmo que tenha passado o pico de infecções pandémicas, Macau está ainda a enfrentar uma escassez de medicamentos nas farmácias, com uma elevada procura de fármacos para o tratamento sintomático da Covid-19, particularmente após a abertura da cidade aos turistas. Ouvidos pelo PONTO FINAL, vários farmacêuticos apontaram que há carência de medicamentos analgésicos e antitérmicos, bem como antitússicos, sobretudo das marcas mais populares. Sem saber quando o fornecimento será reabastecido, o que tem a ver com os fornecedores de Hong Kong, os funcionários das farmácias afirmaram, entretanto, que a situação de escassez de medicamentos melhorou um pouco em comparação com o mês passado.
https://pontofinal-macau.com/2023/01/11/faltam-medicamentos-antigripais-e-nao-ha-data-de-reabastecimento-dizem-farmacias-locais/
jan23
A culpa é da Covid-19. Os Serviços de Saúde referem que, devido ao “surgimento de um grande número de consultas médicas nos serviços de urgência e de casos de doenças graves”, não é possível manter bebés recém-nascidos junto das progenitoras. No entanto, a política de encorajamento e promoção do aleitamento materno “permanece inalterada”. Tal como antes, em tempo de políticas de ‘Covid zero’, as coisas serão ajustadas “de forma dinâmica”.
https://pontofinal-macau.com/2023/01/11/politica-de-inexistencia-de-contacto-entre-maes-e-recem-nascidos-permanecera-inalterada/
jan23
Dado o aumento exponencial de casos de Covid-19 em Macau nas últimas semanas de Dezembro e nas primeiras semanas de Janeiro, que colocou os serviços de urgência sob pressão e provocou um aumento significativo no número de óbitos, o PONTO FINAL questionou o Gabinete da secretária para os Assuntos Sociais e Cultura sobre os trabalhos de preparação para o levantamento das restrições. Na resposta, o Governo mostrou-se satisfeito com a organização dos trabalhos e afirmou que a preparação para o período de transição foi suficiente.
https://pontofinal-macau.com/2023/01/11/governo-diz-que-preparacao-para-o-levantamento-das-restricoes-foi-suficiente/
jan23
The long-awaited reopening of borders between Macau and Hong Kong saw 5,630 people from Hong Kong visit the SAR on Sunday, representing a near 300% increase over the same day in 2022.
The Hong Kong visitation figure, which came on the same day that remaining border restrictions within the Chinese territories were officially removed, contributed to the total of 39,606 people visiting Macau on Sunday – a 153.5% increase on Macau’s average daily visitor arrivals in 2022. Of these visitors, 32,860 were from the mainland, up 134.9% over the same period last year.
https://www.asgam.com/index.php/2023/01/09/macau-welcomes-more-than-5600-visitors-from-hong-kong-on-first-day-of-border-reopening/
jan23
Limited visits to Macao’s care homes for senior citizens and rehabilitation centres will gradually resume from tomorrow as Covid-19 restrictions are relaxed, the Social Welfare Bureau (IAS) has said.
Due to the different conditions of the Covid-19 patients’ physical recovery and the actual Covid-19 prevention and control needs, the bureau said that in the process of resuming routine visits, care homes and rehabilitation centres will, according to their specific conditions, decide whether to require their visitors to present a negative rapid antigen test result valid within two hours when entering the facilities, set up visiting areas or allow their visitors to enter rooms for bedside visits, or to formulate other rules that visitors should abide by during their visit.
https://macaonews.org/social-affairs/visits-to-care-homes-and-rehab-centres-allowed-from-tomorrow/?utm_source=ActiveCampaign&utm_medium=email&utm_content=10+January+Daily+Read+%F0%9F%97%9E%EF%B8%8F&utm_campaign=20230110_Daily+Newsletter
jan23
The first ferry linking Hong Kong island and Macau in almost three years left Hong Kong’s Sheung Wan terminal at 7:30 a.m. to arrive about one hour later at the Taipa Ferry Terminal carrying more than 130 passengers.
Visitors arriving on the vessel with a carrying capacity of 400 passengers were excited to return to Macau, as some told TDM it had been three years since they last visited the city.
Ferry services between the two SARs had been suspended since early February 2020, at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
On Decmber 30, ferry transfer service between Hong Kong International Airport’s SkyPier and Macau resumed to serve for sea-to-air and air-to-sea transfer passengers.
https://www.macaubusiness.com/over-130-passengers-arrive-in-macau-on-first-ferry-from-hk-in-three-years/
8/1/23
“This day has finally come!” – visitors rejoice with reopening
8/1 (sunday)
24-hr immigration services at HK-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge to resume this Sunday
https://www.macaubusiness.com/24-hr-immigration-services-at-hk-zhuhai-macau-bridge-to-resume-this-sunday/
5/1/23
The Macau government has announced an official end to quarantine requirements for all nationalities entering Macau as of this Sunday 8 January 2023.
The new measures will not only mean no more nucleic acid test (NAT) requirement for people entering Macau from mainland China – mirroring a similar measure announced by Beijing earlier in the day for entry from Macau – but all nationalities will be allowed to enter Macau without quarantine and all health management measures upon entry into Macau will also be abolished. Foreigners will, however, still be required to take a NAT test shortly before arrival.
https://www.asgam.com/index.php/2023/01/05/macau-to-drop-all-quarantine-isolation-requirements-for-foreigners-from-sunday/
jan23
Ferry operator TurboJET has said that it plans to resume as many as 16 daytime round sailings between Hong Kong and Macau once it secures a nod of approval from authorities in the two SARs.
Some Hong Kong media have reported that the resumption of ferry services could come as early as 8 January, the day when mandatory quarantine is no longer required for foreign arrivals in mainland China.
Ng Sio In, a director responsible for Macau operations at the company, told public broadcaster TDM today that one tenth of the ferry services running pre-pandemic, or 16 round ferry trips, could be brought back as soon as Hong Kong and Macau governments finished their talks.
https://www.macaubusiness.com/daytime-turbojet-services-to-return-as-early-as-8-jan-media/
jan23
Zeng Zhonglu, a gaming scholar, has estimated that Macau’s gross gaming revenues could reach up to 70 percent of pre-pandemic levels in 2023, at MOP175.47 billion ($21.84 billion) as the territory aims to rebound from nearly three years of lackluster gaming results under COVID restrictions.
Zeng Zhonglu, from the Macao Polytechnic University’s Gaming Research Team, told public broadcaster TDM that “the most difficult time has now passed” and that the economic recession had “bottomed out”.
The figure bodes well for Macau’s gaming concessionaires, whose new licenses came into effect on January 1st, with expectations for increased visitation due to pent-up demand, despite Macau’s health secretary estimating that about half of the population has COVID.
Numerous countries, including South Korea, the United States and Australia are now requiring negative nucleic acid test results from arrivals from China, Hong Kong and Macau, which could slightly dampen visitation for those wishing to travel on to those markets.
Speaking to the broadcaster, the scholar also noted his prediction was based on the strong rebound seen in Las Vegas after COVID measures were relaxed and business ramped back up, seeing GGR reach over $13.4 billion in 2021, even better than 2019.
Zeng is also estimating that January GGR could recover to 40 to 50 percent of the same month in 2019.
Officials are also closely watching the industry to push economic recovery in the SAR, with the city’s top official in his New Year’s address noting that Macau had successfully changed its gaming law and undergone the gaming concession tender, paving the way forward for Macau to progress in 2023.
https://agbrief.com/news/macau/03/01/2023/gaming-scholar-predicts-macau-ggr-to-reach-up-to-70-percent-of-pre-pandemic-levels-in-2023/?utm_source=Asia+Gaming+Brief&utm_campaign=7ce57a687f-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_5_19_2022_13_42_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_51950b5d21-7ce57a687f-69255637&ct=t(EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_5_19_2022_13_42_COPY_01)&goal=0_51950b5d21-7ce57a687f-69255637
jan23
Macau recorded gross gaming revenue of MOP$42.2 billion (US$5.3 billion) in 2022, down 51.4% on 2021 and the lowest single year total since 2004.
The 2022 total, announced by the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau on Sunday, included GGR of MOP$3.48 billion (US$435 million) in December, down 56.3% on December 2021 but higher than November’s GGR total of MOP$3.0 billion (US$373 million).
Macau’s final 2022 GGR result comes as the SAR faces the effects of its long-awaited reopening to the world, with a sudden easing of border restrictions countered by a rapid rise in COVID-19 cases across the city.
https://www.asgam.com/index.php/2023/01/01/macau-records-gross-gaming-revenue-of-us5-25-billion-in-2022-down-51-4-year-on-year/
dez22
Macau e o aeroporto de Hong Kong retomam a partir de sexta-feira as ligações marítimas, quase três anos depois de terem sido suspensas devido às medidas de contenção da pandemia, anunciou a empresa responsável pelo serviço.
"Numa fase inicial", o serviço será retomado com "duas viagens de ida e volta todas as semanas" entre o terminal do Pac On, na ilha da Taipa (Macau), e o Skypier do aeroporto de Hong Kong, de acordo com uma nota disponível na página da TurboJet.
As ligações, às sextas e aos domingos, têm uma duração de cerca de 70 minutos e partem às 09:45 do aeroporto de Hong Kong em direção a Macau e às 14:30 de Macau para Hong Kong.
https://www.rtp.pt/noticias/economia/macau-e-aeroporto-de-hong-kong-retomam-ligacoes-maritimas-a-partir-de-sexta-feira_n1456540
dez22
Horas depois de serem levantadas as restrições de viagem no Interior, os turistas inundaram o portal de pesquisa Ctrip.com e Macau foi o destino mais procurado. No entanto, a enchente de turistas pode não se verificar, devido à falta de capacidade no Interior para lidar com a emissão de vistos
dez22
Após quase três anos de interrupção, as viagens de ferries entre o Terminal Marítimo da Taipa e o “Sky Pier” do Aeroporto Internacional de Hong Kong, em Chek Lap Kok, serão retomadas no próximo dia 30 de Dezembro, anunciou a Direcção dos Serviços de Assuntos Marítimos e de Água de Macau (DSAMA). Numa primeira fase, a TurboJet apenas irá operar uma ligação de ida e volta às sextas-feiras e domingos. Nesses dias, o “ferry” partirá do Aeroporto de Hong Kong para a Taipa às 09h45, estando a viagem de regresso agendada para as 14:30. A DSAMA assegurou que coordenou com a companhia de navegação uma série de trabalhos preparatórios, incluindo uma viagem “experimental” e a inspecção e desinfecção das instalações dos terminais e das embarcações. Todos os serviços de “ferries” entre Macau e Hong Kong foram suspensos no início de Fevereiro de 2020, devido à pandemia da Covid-19. O organismo não indicou quando poderão ser restabelecidas as restantes ligações marítimas com Hong Kong.
https://jtm.com.mo/local/rota-de-ferries-para-chek-lap-kok-retomada-dia-30/
dez22
A abolição da quarentena em hotel, que entrou em vigor no sábado, conseguiu atrair a Macau mais turistas de Hong Kong. Segundo os dados dos Serviços de Turismo, Macau recebeu, no domingo, até às 19h00, 830 turistas da RAEHK.
Segundo a imprensa em língua chinesa, apesar do aumento da frequência de saídas dos “autocarros dourados” entre Hong Kong e Macau, algumas carreiras ficaram lotadas. Desde o início de sábado, a frequência dos autocarros de Hong Kong para Macau subiu para 10 saídas por dia, operadas entre as 10h30 e 19h30, com uma saída por hora. De Macau para Hong Kong, por sua vez, há neste momento um total de nove saídas, operadas entre o meio-dia e as 20h00, também com uma saída por hora.
Para comprar bilhete para vir a Macau, continua a ser necessário mostrar resultado negativo do teste de ácido nucleico de 48 horas ou dois relatórios sobre covid-19, mas com o valor de CT igual ou superior a 35. Também é necessário os passageiros usarem a máscara KN95, N95 ou de padrões mais elevados nos autocarros, caso contrário, a sua entrada será rejeitada.
https://jtm.com.mo/local/pedidos-mais-autocarros-dourados/
