50,000 visitors arrive in Macao on New Year's Day

Macao announced that 50,000 visitors arrived on the first day of the Lunar New Year yesterday (Jan. 22), mainly through the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge and the customs gate.

During the Lunar New Year, the Macao Government Tourist Office (MGTO) launched a number of activities, including a lion parade. At the same time, the Bureau launched a pilot scheme to designate a 450-meter stretch of road as a pedestrian zone. Several giant lucky rabbits, art, and animal-shaped installations were placed along the road, attracting many citizens and visitors to the site.

MGTO Director Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes said yesterday that she had seen many visitors at the Ruins of St. Paul's and the trade had reported that the hotel booking rate had reached 90%, describing the first day of the Lunar New Year as a "good start" to the year and expecting an average of 47,000 visitors per day during the Chinese New Year.