Hotel occupancy rate reaches 9 pct in May

The average hotel occupancy rate in Macau for May was only 9.3 per cent, with the same month last year recording a 90.4 per cent rate, data gathered by the Macau Hotel Association indicates.

The average occupancy rate for 5-star hotels reached only 5.3 per cent that month, from 93 per cent in May last year, with 4-star hotels (17.6 per cent) and 3-star hotels (12 per cent) also reporting extremely low occupancy rates.

As border restrictions were gradually imposed due to the health crisis, the city reported about 3.2 million visitors between January and May of this year.

The average room rates for all types of hotels has dropped by 47 per cent year-on-year to some MOP698 (US$87) in May.

By the end of that month the average room rates for 3-star hotels had dropped by 62.8 per cent year-on-year to some MOP387.7, the largest drop recorded.

Meanwhile, the average room rates for 4-star in May went down by 61.8 per cent year-on-year to MOP308, an average even lower rate than 3-star hotels, while 5-star hotels only reported a 12 per cent year-on-year fall to some MOP1,385.

The Macao Government Tourism Office Director Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes stated recently that she believes the city can still reach some 22 million visitors this year despite the pandemic.