Macao tourist arrivals continue to rise, in spite of a downturn in casino revenues at many of the special administrative region’s top integrated resorts (IRs).
Per official Macau Public Security Police figures, the Qingmao Immigration Center has processed over 20 million customs clearances since the beginning of the year.
Last year, it took over two weeks longer to hit the same arrivals milestone, the Japanese-language Macao-based media outlet Macau Shimbun reported.
The pedestrian-only Qingmao Checkpoint is one of the most important land crossings connecting Macau with Mainland China.
Using facial recognition software, the checkpoint can process around 200,000 arrivals per day. It opened in 2021 and is open 24 hours a day.
But the data points to faster rises in recent weeks. The checkpoint is now at over 50% capacity, with average daily arrivals over 7% higher than in July 2025.
The figure is significant, following a record-breaking 2025, with Macao recording over 19.2 million tourist arrivals, a rise of 14.9% year-on-year.
Macao Tourist Arrivals: More International & Chinese Visitors
The Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) responded to the rise in footfall in April by mulling free direct transfers for international tourists from the nearby Mainland Chinese city of Guangzhou.
The development comes amid a massive spike in international tourism to Macao, including a 60% rise in Thai visitors.
Visitor rates to Mainland China are also skyrocketing, with officials reporting a year-on-year rise of almost 11%.
Guangzhou Baiyun Airport is the main entry point to Macao for air travelers from the Mainland and international tourists.
The air hub this month reported a record-breaking 34% year-on-year rise in cross-border passengers. Officials also noted an 85% rise in passengers from Central Asia and Russia.
Casino Revenues Sluggish
Somehow, however, all this is not translating into a rise in casino revenues. Gross gaming revenue fell by over 12.1% year-on-year last month, marking a 15-month low.
Many analysts have cited the World Cup as a factor, and claim that revenues will rise after the tournament comes to a close.
Typhoon season has also disrupted travel to and from Macao, with more high-wind warnings in the short- and medium-term.
Typhoon Bavi has already forced the Chinese authorities to evacuate some two million people.
However, pre-tournament and pre-typhoon-season figures also indicated a drop in VIP markets.
Late last year, US analysts warned of a slowdown caused by a rise in operators’ royalty payment fees to their parent companies.
And South Korea-based financial experts have claimed that Macao casinos will continue to suffer in the second half of 2026.
Non-Gambling Revenues: Macao IRs Investing in Food, Kids’ Facilities
While casino revenues continue to paint a grim financial picture, many IRs appear to be eyeing non-gambling revenue streams.
Last week, the Galaxy Macau opened a new splash park and water play areas for young children.
Rival IR the Grand Lisboa Palace, meanwhile, is stepping up its culinary portfolio, with two more of its restaurants receiving Michelin stars earlier this month.
The same IR is also home to the Michelin three-star eatery Robuchon au Dôme.
