Macao sees tourism recovery during National Day holiday

A salesperson at a major shopping center on Taipa Island told Xinhua that they received about a third more customers on Oct 1. "We hope this can continue throughout the holiday."

The Tourism Office has been promoting the city as a safe tourist destination on social media in the mainland. It has also worked with businesses to offer discounts for hotels and air tickets.

During the first three days of the holiday, the hotel occupancy rate in Macao reached 80.6 percent on average, showed data released by the office.

Staff at a hotel in the NAPE area of the Macao Peninsula said their rooms had been nearly booked out during the holiday. "You need to make reservations in order to enjoy our buffet dining services."

Many experts and scholars in Macao said the recovery boosted people's confidence in the prospects of Macao's tourism economy and the economy as a whole.

Li Xi, executive associate dean of the Faculty of International Tourism and Management of the City University of Macao, said the recovery in the tourism market had been long expected by the industry and local residents.

"The most important thing is to maintain the safe environment and continue to build Macao into a safe tourist destination," he said.

Lao Keng Chong, director-general of the Macao Innovation Development Research Association, said support at the national level makes it hopeful for the local tourism industry to achieve a breakthrough.

"With unique cultural charms as a bridge linking Chinese and Western cultures, Macao can attract tourists with its historical and cultural heritages in order to speed up economic recovery," Lao added.