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Visitors to Macao spent 44.47 billion patacas (US$5.54 billion) on non-gaming items in the first half of 2026, up 17.4 percent year on year, according to the Statistics and Census Service’s latest Visitor Expenditure Survey.
Same-day visitors drove much of the growth, with their spending rising 53.5 percent to 12.05 billion patacas (US$1.50 billion), while overnight visitor spending grew a more modest 8.0 percent to 32.41 billion patacas (US$4.04 billion).
Per capita non-gaming spending across all visitors reached 2,123 patacas (US$264.40), up 7.8 percent, with overnight visitors averaging 4,024 patacas (US$501.10) and same-day visitors 935 patacas (US$116.40).
Shopping accounted for the largest share of spending at 46.0 percent, followed by accommodation at 22.3 percent and food and beverage at 21.5 percent. Visitors attending MICE events spent the most per person, averaging 4,593 patacas (US$572.00).
[See more: Most Macao residents are unwilling to work in the GBA, survey finds]
Spending patterns varied by market. Visitors from Japan and South Korea posted the sharpest per capita spending growth among major Northeast Asian markets, up 31.2 percent and 20.3 percent respectively, while Hong Kong visitors rose 24.4 percent and mainland Chinese visitors rose a more modest 4.8 percent.
Taiwan was the only major market to post a decline, down 2.7 percent, and Thailand fell 10.1 percent among Southeast Asian markets, even as Singapore rose 19.3 percent.
For the second quarter alone, non-gaming spending rose 9.8 percent year on year to 20.04 billion patacas (US$2.50 billion), with per capita spending up 5.6 percent to 2,059 patacas (US$256.40). Growth in the quarter was again led by same-day visitors, whose spending jumped 35.1 percent, while Taiwan and international visitor spending both declined.