Macau set a new record for visitor arrivals, with the numbers reaching 28 million in 2011.
Tourist Office head João Costa Antunes said today at the body’s annual press conference that this figure is up by 12.2 percent over that of 2010, when the previous all-time high was set.
A total of 25 million came from Greater China, including the mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan.
The number of international visitors reached 3 million, up by 2.2 percent over the previous year.
The majority of international visitors came from South Korea, accounting for 400,000 arrivals, up by 20.2 percent but it was visitors from the United States, the United Kingdom and New Zealand that stayed the longest.
Mr Costa Antunes also said that while these numbers are good, the Tourist Office has to think about ensuring visitor satisfaction by providing better service. Therefore, the body will set up a new department this year.
He also said that the markets to look out for in the future are Russia and Dubai, especially when Russian visitors are exempt from visas.