New regulations put the brakes on Macau
MACAU – Destination Macau has an interesting story about the impact of the new rules governing mainland visitors entering Macau from Hong Kong.
Under instructions from Beijing, September 1 was the deadline for Macau to start denying entry to mainland visitors who arrive via Hong Kong.
These visitors are now required to apply for a permit direct to Macau, which can only be gained once every two months.
Destination Macau reported, “The effect has been felt immediately at the Outer Harbour Ferry Terminal.
“On Wednesday, TurboJet actually started canceling sailings in the afternoon. When we arrived at the terminal from Hong Kong on one of the small boats, there was not a single person in front of us at the immigration counters. 


“Taipa-bound CotaiJet still seems to be doing alright – because promotions at the Venetian are still drawing in numbers from Hong Kong.
“The Venetian’s main gaming floor was doing a steady business when we visited this week, and there were fairly large groups of people walking around the Grand Canal Shoppes, too. But everywhere else around town was noticeably quieter.


“Most casino executives we have contacted say their VIP business is unaffected, but their mass business is down, on average, 15 per cent. We think that’s being over-confident – but that’s not surprising.
“Our researchers at the border points have reported a noticeable drop in mainland visitors, but we will have to wait a few more weeks for the official numbers to come out. 


“All is not lost, of course. Package tours from the mainland are still coming in at a regular pace, and the international and Hong Kong markets appear to have been picking up recently.
“But now that the summer holidays and Venetian anniversary celebrations are over, it will be tough to keep those numbers going up, too.â€
Ian Jarrett
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