Macau closed 2025 with its strongest tourism performance on record, as visitor arrivals climbed to a new all-time high and cross-border travel volumes reached unprecedented levels. Preliminary figures released by the city’s Public Security Police show that total visitor arrivals for the year reached 40.06 million, marking a clear break from past records and confirming that travel activity has fully moved beyond pre-pandemic benchmarks.

The latest total exceeded the previous high of 39.4 million visitors recorded in 2019 by roughly 654,000 arrivals. Compared with 2024, visitor numbers increased by 14.7 percent, highlighting a sharp year-on-year rebound. Authorities indicated that the city had already surpassed its 2019 visitor total before the end of the year, with the milestone reached by 11 a.m. on December 27, followed by an additional influx during the final days of December as travelers arrived ahead of New Year celebrations.

Border Traffic Hits Historic Highs

According to Inside Asian Gaming, The rise in visitor arrivals was accompanied by record border movement volumes. According to police data, total inbound and outbound border crossings reached 235 million trips in 2025, reflecting a 9.8 percent increase from the previous year. This figure represents the highest level of cross-border movement ever recorded in the city.

Macau residents accounted for 36.4 percent of all border crossings, while non-resident workers represented 26.1 percent. Tourists made up 33.9 percent of total movements. In terms of checkpoint usage, the Border Gate remained the city’s busiest crossing, handling 52.7 percent of all movements. Qingmao Port followed with 15.4 percent, while Hengqin Port accounted for 12.9 percent.

Holiday travel patterns further underscored the strength of cross-border demand. During the New Year public holiday period on the Chinese mainland, Macau experienced a pronounced spike in arrivals. On January 1, 2026, inbound tourist numbers reached 188,036, with more than 860,000 border crossings recorded across all checkpoints on that single day. The following day saw 822,272 border crossings, including 188,561 inbound tourists, keeping traffic volumes at elevated levels.

Separate figures covering the two-day New Year holiday period of December 31 and January 1 show that Macau welcomed 368,538 visitors during those two days alone. Police data indicated that arrivals during the period were up 63.7 percent year on year. While authorities did not provide a breakdown by place of origin, most visitors entered through the Border Gate and Hengqin checkpoints, which connect Macau to the Chinese mainland.

Air Travel Trends Diverge From Land and Sea Growth

Despite strong overall tourism figures, air passenger traffic followed a different trajectory in 2025. Macau International Airport handled approximately 7.52 million passengers during the year, representing a 1.6 percent decline compared with 2024. Airport operator Macau International Airport Company attributed the shortfall to broader economic conditions and uncertainty that weighed on demand, particularly during the first half of the year and the summer travel period.

The operator had previously warned that geopolitical developments and global economic instability could influence passenger volumes. Even so, the airport reported several areas of improvement. Passenger arrivals from overseas markets increased by 7 percent, international routes expanded by 26 percent, and cargo volume recorded annual growth of 1.08 percent.

By the end of 2025, the airport was served by 29 airlines operating flights to 47 destinations across mainland China, Taiwan, Southeast Asia, Japan, and South Korea. In response to weaker passenger numbers earlier in the year, the company worked with industry partners to attract new carriers and restore routes, contributing to improved performance in the fourth quarter. New or resumed services included connections to Jinan, Cebu, Haiphong, Ho Chi Minh City, and Vladivostok, while discussions continued regarding potential cooperation with Middle Eastern airlines.

Tourism Growth Aligns with Gaming Revenue Increase

The surge in visitor arrivals coincided with growth in Macau’s gaming sector. As reported separately, the city’s gaming industry generated gross gaming revenue of MOP$247.4 billion (US$30.9 billion) in 2025. This represented a 9.1 percent increase compared with 2024, with growth largely driven by activity in the VIP and premium mass segments.

Chinese mainland and Hong Kong visitors remained the primary feeder markets for both tourism and gaming activity, reflecting sustained regional travel demand and the normalization of cross-border movement following the removal of pandemic-related restrictions. With visitor numbers now firmly above pre-COVID levels, 2025 stands as a landmark year for Macau’s tourism recovery and overall visitor economy.