Macau experienced a significant surge in tourism during the 2025 Easter weekend, drawing more than 520,000 visitors between April 18 and April 21. This figure, confirmed by the Public Security Police Force (PSP), represents a 28% increase compared to the same holiday period in 2024, when just over 406,000 arrivals were recorded.

Daily visitor numbers hit new highs:

Traffic into the city picked up steadily across the four-day period. On Good Friday, 118,999 people entered Macau. The following day saw the highest volume, with 161,309 arrivals logged on Holy Saturday. Visitor traffic declined slightly to 139,791 on Easter Sunday and further dropped to 99,966 on Easter Monday. Earlier reports based on preliminary figures cited slightly different Sunday and Monday totals, but final tallies confirmed the full count.

Macau’s tourism influx occurred despite Easter not being a national holiday in mainland China, its largest source market. The growth in foot traffic caught some tourism professionals off guard. Andy Wu, president of the Macau Tourism Industry Association, said the daily average of around 130,000 visitors “greatly exceeded the initial forecast.”

The majority of those traveling to Macau over Easter came from mainland China, which accounted for approximately 327,000 visitors—about 63% of the total. Hong Kong followed with 146,000 travelers, making up 28%, while Taiwanese visitors numbered about 10,000 (2%). International tourists also showed up in greater numbers, with 37,000 counted, amounting to 7.1% of total arrivals.

Easter remains a significant public holiday in both Hong Kong and Macau, though it is not observed on the mainland. Hong Kong’s contribution to Macau’s tourism has been notable in 2024 overall, with more than 7.1 million visitors from the city, roughly 29% of the yearly total.

Busy checkpoints and record traffic on key routes:

Across the entire Easter break, more than 2.82 million total entries and exits—combining both residents and visitors—were recorded at Macau’s borders. The Border Gate remained the busiest checkpoint, responsible for nearly half (49.7%) of all crossings. Qingmao Port followed with 15.5%, with the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge (HZMB) accounting for 15%, and Hengqin Port making up 11.6%.

When isolating tourist traffic only, the Border Gate again led the list with about 200,000 users. HZMB saw over 144,000 tourist crossings, while Hengqin Port and the Taipa Ferry Terminal processed 70,613 and 34,816 travelers respectively.

According to Macao News, the HZMB also experienced record-breaking vehicular activity. On Thursday and Friday of the holiday period, more than 429,000 cars entered and exited via Zhuhai Port, up 76.54% year-on-year. Thursday alone marked a new record, with 145,000 inbound vehicle trips, a staggering 141.67% increase compared to the same day last year.

The sharp rise in visitation had an immediate impact on the local economy. Retailers in the city saw noticeable upticks in sales, with one souvenir shop owner telling TDM that her business enjoyed a 20% to 30% boost over the Easter break.

Despite the Easter holiday being relatively short, its effects were felt across multiple sectors, from border operations to retail and hospitality. Looking ahead, industry players are now focusing on the upcoming Labor Day holiday in mainland China from May 1 to May 5, a period typically marked by a high influx of tourists and one that’s expected to continue the positive momentum for Macau’s tourism industry.