Official statistics show that total visitor arrivals in Macao expanded in August 2026, driven by strong growth in same-day travellers from mainland China.
Monthly visitor arrivals in Macao expand in August 2026
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Official figures published by Macao’s Statistics and Census Service (known by the Portuguese initials DSEC) reveal that total visitor arrivals in Macao grew by 6.1 percent year-on-year to reach 4,478,073 in August 2026.
This expansion was primarily driven by same-day travellers, who numbered 2,853,011, reflecting an 11.7 percent increase compared to the corresponding period last year. Conversely, overnight visitors declined by 2.4 percent to 1,625,062. The average length of stay across all visitors dropped by 0.1 day year-on-year to 1.0 day, while overnight visitors maintained a steady average stay of 2.3 days.
[See more: Macao visitor arrivals pass 30-million milestone]
Mainland China remained the largest source market, contributing 3,561,667 visits in August, which represents a 9.3 percent year-on-year climb. Within this cohort, individuals travelling under the Individual Visit Scheme rose by 12.7 percent to 2,019,744. In addition, travellers arriving from Taiwan rose by 13.7 percent to 101,282. However, visitor numbers originating from Hong Kong registered a decrease of 5.6 percent, falling to 643,445.
Trends across international visitor arrivals in Macao
International visitor traffic experienced a contraction in August, falling by 9.8 percent year-on-year to 171,679. Among Southeast Asian markets, arrivals from the Philippines dropped by 18.5 percent to 31,282 and those from Indonesia fell by 16.9 percent to 11,106, whereas arrivals from Malaysia climbed by 2.1 percent to 8,161.
In South Asia, Indian visitor numbers fell by 17.6 percent to 6,430. Northeast Asian markets also saw reductions, with the Republic of Korea recording 30,738 visitors (down 12.6 percent) and Japan recording 11,464 visitors (down 31.1 percent). Meanwhile, long-haul arrivals from the USA dipped by 0.4 percent to 11,713.
Looking at the broader year-to-date performance, cumulative visitor arrivals in Macao across the first eight months of 2026 surged by 7.7 percent year-on-year to 28,964,737. Same-day visitors climbed by 13.6 percent to 17,850,599, while overnight visitors experienced a minor reduction of 0.6 percent to 11,114,138.
Total international visitors in the same eight-month timeframe rose by 3.4 percent to 1,768,596. Across these initial eight months, the cumulative average stay reduced by 0.1 day to 1.0 day, whereas overnight visitors stayed an unchanged average of 2.3 days.
