While domestic visitors make up the great majority of tourists, the number of international arrivals climbed by 6 percent.
Macao’s visitor numbers climb in first half of 2026
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The SAR’s tourism sector recorded a robust performance during the first half of 2026, with Macao’s visitor numbers increasing by 9 percent year-on-year to reach 20,944,446. According to the latest figures from the Statistics and Census Service (known by the Portuguese initials DSEC), this overall growth was supported by a 15.3 percent rise in same-day visitors, who totalled 12,889,844, and a 0.2 percent increase in overnight visitors, numbering 8,054,602.
Despite the increase in volume in Macao’s visitor numbers, the average length of stay for visitors shortened by 0.1 day to 1.0 day, while the average stay for overnight guests remained unchanged at 2.3 days.
[See more: Hong Kong tourism arrivals grow in year’s first half]
Mainland China remained the most significant contributor to Macao’s visitor numbers, with 15,286,203 arrivals – a rise of 11 percent compared to the same period in 2025. Within this figure, travellers arriving under the Individual Visit Scheme grew by 13.6 percent to 8,417,542. Arrivals from Hong Kong rose by 0.3 percent to 3,659,900, and visitors from Taiwan saw a sharp increase of 24.7 percent, reaching 575,895.
Macao’s visitor numbers: international arrivals up
International arrivals also trended upwards, totalling 1,422,448 for the first six months, representing a 6 percent year-on-year increase.
The Southeast Asian market experienced varied results: arrivals from Thailand surged by 51.4 percent to 122,494, whereas visitors from the Philippines declined by 1.2 percent to 270,441. Elsewhere, arrivals from India and the Republic of Korea grew by 12.4 percent and 0.7 percent respectively, while visitors from the USA increased by 7.4 percent.
The positive half-year momentum in Macao’s visitor numbers was tempered by a decline in June, when total visitor arrivals dropped by 3.1 percent year-on-year to 2,801,152. While same-day visitor numbers grew by 1.6 percent to 1,637,260, overnight visitor arrivals fell by 9 percent to 1,163,892. The average length of stay for the month was 1.1 days, down 0.1 day year-on-year.
