South Korea has claimed the No.1 spot on Macau’s list of international visitor tourism markets, with 192,095 arrivals from Korea in 2024 as of 21 May, according to the Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO).
That figure also represents 93.9% of South Korean arrivals for all of 2023 and 52.0% of arrivals in 2019, suggesting Korean arrivals are on track to achieve a new high this year.
The update came as the MGTO revealed it will return to South Korea this week for a four-day “Experience Macao roadshow in Korea” the second straight year it has run such a campaign in the East Asian nation. The roadshow aims to present Korean residents and the travel trade a wide picture of Macau’s destination appeal while enabling industry operators from both sides to connect and build partnerships towards the city’s pursuit of international visitor markets.
The MGTO said it has liaised over the past year with Korean airlines on the possibilities of resuming international air routes between Macau and Korea. Now that direct flights from Seoul and Busan to Macau have returned, the MGTO is hosting another roadshow to fuel destination marketing and highlight Macau’s appeal for Korean visitors.
The roadshow will take place at Shinsegae Department Store – Gangnam Branch in the high-traffic Gangnam District, while a Macau tourism and MICE seminar will be held at Four Seasons Hotel Seoul on Wednesday.
According to the MGTO, this “Macao Tourism + MICE Product Updates Seminar & Travel Mart” aims to strengthen business relations between Korea and Macau travel trade.
“To facilitate new collaborations, Korean industry delegates will be familiarized with Macau’s latest tourism and MICE trends, followed by a networking session with their Macau counterparts to forge partnerships and uncover market potential together for a mutual rise in visitor arrivals,” it said.