Macau experienced another strong month of tourism in October, with the city reporting just over 3.47 million visitor arrivals. According to the latest data released by Macau’s Statistics and Census Bureau, the total represented a 10.8 percent increase compared to the same month last year. The month was heavily influenced by the October Golden Week period, which traditionally drives high tourist volumes, and this year was no exception. Even with disruptions caused by Typhoon Matmo early in the month, the holiday period still delivered significant momentum for the city’s tourism and gaming sectors.

Mainland Arrivals and Visa Measures Drive Momentum

Visitors from mainland China continued to make up the overwhelming majority of all arrivals. Across October, 2.53 million mainland tourists entered Macau, marking a 12.0 percent year-on-year increase. Travel under the Individual Visit Scheme (IVS) expanded further, with 1.32 million travelers using this route, a rise of 22.6 percent from the previous year.

Additional visa arrangements contributed to the overall traffic. A total of 214,368 visitors made use of the “one trip per week” measure, 97,365 entered under the “multiple-entry” measure, and 11,667 travelers used the “tourist group multi-entry measure,” according to figures disclosed for the period.

Visitors from the nine Pearl River Delta cities in the Greater Bay Area also grew sharply, reaching 1,318,837 for the month — a 13.8 percent increase year-on-year. Zhuhai alone posted a notable 50.9 percent surge in visitation.

International Tourism Expands as Same-Day Visits Lead Growth

International tourism recorded solid gains as well. A total of 260,944 international visitors arrived in October, reflecting a 22.9 percent year-on-year rise. Southeast Asian markets showed substantial activity: Thailand delivered 26,299 visitors, up 118.5 percent; the Philippines followed with 44,863 visitors, an increase of 15.3 percent; Indonesia added 16,985 visitors, up 24.7 percent; Malaysia reached 16,206, up 1.8 percent; and Singapore contributed 10,140, up 6.1 percent.

From Northeast Asia, 52,057 travelers arrived from South Korea, an increase of 10.6 percent, and Japanese visitation rose 32.1 percent to 12,675. Long-haul arrivals also strengthened, with 15,467 visitors from the United States, up 18.8 percent.

Same-day visitation drove a significant portion of October’s growth. More than 2.10 million same-day visitors entered the city, a rise of 17.6 percent compared to last year. Overnight visits also edged upward, reaching nearly 1.37 million, an increase of 1.7 percent. Despite higher traffic, the average length of stay remained unchanged at 1.1 days.

The Golden Week holiday further boosted early-month numbers. Over the eight-day period, Macau registered just above 1.14 million visitors, an average exceeding 143,000 per day. Analysts described tourism activity during this stretch as “robust,” even with the temporary disruptions caused by Typhoon Matmo.

As GGRAsia reports, across the first ten months of the year, Macau recorded slightly above 33.14 million visitors from all markets, a 14.1 percent increase compared to the same period last year. Mainland visitation for the year-to-date stood at nearly 24.11 million, reflecting a 17.7 percent rise. International arrivals from January to October reached nearly 2.15 million, up 13.6 percent year-on-year. The Macao Government Tourism Office previously projected that visitor arrivals for the full year 2025 may reach around 39 million.